Four Killed in Gunfight Between Cuban Border Guards and Florida-Registered Speedboat
On February 25, 2026, Cuban border guards intercepted a Florida-registered speedboat in territorial waters near Villa Clara province, triggering a fatal gunfight that killed four and wounded six of the ten occupants. Cuba's Interior Ministry later identified all occupants as armed Cuban nationals living in the United States who allegedly planned an armed infiltration for terrorist purposes, with authorities seizing assault rifles, Molotov cocktails, and bulletproof vests. US officials including Secretary of State Rubio and Vice President Vance called the incident 'highly unusual' and launched federal and state investigations, while Russia's Foreign Ministry condemned it as an 'aggressive US provocation.'
The Cuba speedboat shooting reveals a deep editorial rift: Russian state media unanimously frame it as an 'aggressive US provocation' with Kremlin spokesman Peskov treating detainees' confessions to terrorism as self-evidently true, while US mainstream outlets insist they cannot verify Cuba's account and emphasize the need for independent investigation. The sharpest editorial distortion comes from Lenta.ru, which repackaged Vice President Vance's cautiously hedged hope that things are 'not as bad as we fear' into a headline claiming the US 'refuses to treat the incident as serious' — a significant escalation of his actual words. Fox News stands alone among all 24 outlets in reporting that the speedboat was stolen from a Florida Keys marina, a potentially narrative-altering detail ignored by every other source including the New York Times. Meanwhile, no outlet in any language has addressed the fundamental question of how ten individuals in a 45-year-old civilian motorboat obtained assault rifles, bulletproof vests, and Molotov cocktails — a gap that leaves the most basic question of this story, whether it was a rescue mission or an armed raid, stubbornly unresolved.
Developments
On the morning of February 25, a Florida-registered speedboat (FL7726SH) entered Cuban territorial waters near Cayo Falcones in Villa Clara province. When a five-member Cuban border patrol approached to identify the vessel, its crew opened fire, wounding the Cuban commander; return fire killed four and wounded six of the ten people aboard. The vessel was later identified as a 24-foot Pro-Line civilian motorboat built in 1981, registered for commercial use, with no connection to the US Navy or Coast Guard — a US official told the New York Times it was part of a flotilla attempting to evacuate relatives from Cuba. Cuba's Interior Ministry reaffirmed its 'determination to protect its territorial waters,' calling national defense 'a fundamental pillar of the Cuban State.'
US officials responded rapidly to the incident: Florida Congressman Carlos Gimenez called for an immediate investigation into what he termed a 'massacre' and sent inquiries to the State Department and Pentagon, while Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier ordered a state probe, declaring 'the Cuban government cannot be trusted.' Secretary of State Rubio, attending a Caribbean summit in St. Kitts and Nevis, called the incident 'highly unusual,' confirmed the US government had no involvement, and said the Department of Homeland Security and Coast Guard were investigating. Vice President Vance told reporters the situation was 'hopefully not as bad as we fear,' while the US Coast Guard initially declined comment, directing inquiries to the State Department. The UN said it was seeking more details about the incident.
In a second statement late on February 25, Cuba's Interior Ministry revealed that all ten occupants of the speedboat were Cuban nationals living in the United States who, based on preliminary statements from detainees, 'intended to carry out an infiltration for terrorist purposes.' Authorities seized assault rifles, handguns, Molotov cocktails, bulletproof vests, telescopic sights, and camouflage uniforms from the vessel. The ministry identified seven of the ten individuals, naming Amijail Sánchez González and Leordan Enrique Cruz Gómez as persons wanted by Cuban authorities for terrorism-related activities under UN Security Council Resolution 1373. One of the four killed was identified as Michel Ortega Casanova. A separate accomplice, Duniel Hernández Santos, was arrested on Cuban soil for allegedly facilitating the armed incursion and had confessed to his role.
Russia's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova called the incident an 'aggressive provocation by the United States aimed at escalating the situation and detonating conflict.' Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the detainees' confessions to terrorist intentions spoke for themselves and required no further comment, adding that 'the situation around Cuba is intensifying' and that Cuban border guards 'acted correctly.' Peskov called for all parties to exercise restraint and avoid provoking escalation, emphasizing that humanitarian issues for Cuban citizens must be resolved without obstruction. CNBC noted the incident occurred against the backdrop of a worsening economic crisis driven by the US oil blockade on Cuba.