Cuba kills four on Florida speedboat after crew opens fire on border patrol
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The news: Cuban forces killed four people and wounded six others aboard a Florida-registered speedboat after its crew opened fire on the island’s border patrol, the government said.
The context: The deadly clash comes as US-Cuba tensions run high under the Trump administration’s effective naval blockade of the communist-run island.
The vessel, bearing registration number FL7726SH, was detected within one nautical mile of Cuba’s northern coast near Cayo Falcones in the Villa Clara province on Wednesday morning, Cuba’s Interior Ministry said in a statement.
When a Cuban boat carrying five border guards approached to identify the passengers, the crew opened fire, wounding the Cuban commander. Cuban forces then returned fire, the statement says.
The wounded passengers were evacuated and given medical assistance. The ministry said an investigation had been launched on the incident.
The US State Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Bloomberg or the BBC.
The sources: Cuba’s Interior Ministry, Bloomberg, BBC, Reuters
