- In the incident, six other crew members of the foreign boat and one Cuban officer were injured.
- Florida’s attorney general announces an investigation: “The Cuban government cannot be trusted.”
14ymedio, Havana February 25, 2026 – Four people were killed and seven injured, including a Cuban officer, in an incident that occurred this Wednesday in waters off Villa Clara, which, contrary to its usual practice, the Ministry of the Interior reported immediately. In a brief statement, authorities explained that in the morning “a speed boat violating Cuban territorial waters was detected, registered in Florida, United States, with folio FL7726SH.”
The vessel, the statement says, approached to within one nautical mile northeast of Canalizo El Pino, in the Villa Clara cay of Falcones. “As a surface unit of the Border Guard Troops of the Ministry of the Interior, with five personnel on board, approached to identify it,” the note continues, “the offending boat opened fire on the Cuban forces, causing the commander of the Cuban vessel to be injured.”
It is not yet clear whether the incident was related to drug trafficking or an attempted landing from the U.S. coast.
The Ministry of the Interior then reported the dead and injured: “As a result of the confrontation, at the time of this report, on the foreign side, four aggressors were killed and six injured, who were evacuated and received medical assistance.”
The official statement assures that “investigations are ongoing” to clarify the incident. It is not yet clear whether it involved drug trafficking, an illegal departure, or an attempted landing.
Before the Ministry of the Interior issued its statement, commentator Niover Licea published different details about the confrontation on the northern coast of Villa Clara on his Facebook page Nio Reporting a Crime. Based on reports received from the area, he claims that there were three boats arriving from the United States, which “allegedly reached the area known as La Panchita, in the municipality of Corralillo, and an exchange of gunfire took place in the area.”
According to this version, there were “around 10 injured,” and “one member of the troops was airlifted by helicopter to the military hospital in Matanzas.” A lighthouse located in the area where Border Guard personnel operate was also hit, Licea continues. Residents report, the commentator says, that the area is completely militarized, beach access is prohibited, and local workers are not allowed entry.
“The violence linked to that regime cannot be ignored or minimized.”
Later, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced on social media the opening of an investigation: “I have ordered the State Attorney’s Office to work with our federal, state, and law enforcement partners to begin an investigation. The Cuban government cannot be trusted, and we will do everything in our power to hold these communists accountable.”
Miami-Dade Commissioner Natalie Milian Orbis echoed this sentiment. In a statement, she affirmed that she was closely monitoring reports that “Cuban regime forces may have opened fire on a vessel registered in Florida, resulting in the tragic loss of life and multiple injuries.” If confirmed, she continued, “it is deeply alarming and must be the subject of a swift and thorough investigation by U.S. authorities.”
Translated by Regina Anavy
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