On Wednesday, the Cuban Coast Guard announced it had killed four people and injured six after intercepting a speedboat licensed in Florida, an incident with the possibility of ratcheting up tensions between the United States and Cuba.
The incident was first revealed by the Cuban Coast Guard, which claimed to have fired on the boat after a passenger fired at its personnel first. A violent exchange off the coast of Cuba on that scale is unprecedented in recent decades, and has led to a flurry of speculation. A case of possible mistaken identity has only added fuel to the flames.
Here’s everything we know about the Wednesday gunfight off the coast of Cuba:
What happened?
Due to the contentious nature of U.S.-Cuba relations, Washington has voiced skepticism of Havana’s account and pledged to independently verify the details of the incident, all of which have so far been provided only by the Cuban government.
The Cuban Ministry of the Interior said in a Wednesday statement that the country’s Coast Guard intercepted a U.S.-registered vessel roughly 1 mile north of Cuba, near Cayo Falcones. According to the ministry’s statement, one of the 10 armed men on board the vessel fired at the Cuban Coast Guard vessel, triggering a gunfight that left four passengers dead, with the remaining six wounded and detained.
Havana announced the men were all Cubans living in the U.S., and were planning “infiltration for terrorist purposes.” The Coast Guard said it recovered assault-style rifles, handguns, improvised explosive devices such as Molotov cocktails, body armor, telescopic sights, and camouflage uniforms from the boat.
Separately, Cuban national Duniel Hernandez Santos was arrested on land, after which he reportedly confessed to trying to facilitate the passengers’ landing in Cuba, having been sent by the U.S.
Who was on the boat?
The Cuban government quickly gave the names of seven passengers, including all of those detained and one of those killed.
The detained passengers were listed as Cristian Ernesto Acosta Guevara, Roberto Azcorra Consuegra, Leordan Enrique Cruz Gomez, Conrado Galindo Sariol, Jose Manuel Rodriguez Castello, and Amijail Sanchez Gonzalez. Michel Ortega Casanova was identified as one of those killed.
Havana claimed the majority of passengers had “prior records involving criminal and violent activity.” Gomez and Gonzalez were on Havana’s wanted list.
“They are currently under criminal investigation and are wanted by Cuban authorities for their alleged involvement in the promotion, planning, organization, financing, support, or execution of terrorist acts in Cuba or abroad,” the Ministry of the Interior said.
However, at least some of Havana’s list appears to be incorrect. One of the men, Azcorra Consuegra, spoke with NBC6 on Wednesday night and said he was still very much free in the U.S. and not in Cuba. He denied any knowledge of the men’s plan but gave cryptic answers when asked about the other passengers.
“I can’t reveal that information for now,” he answered when asked if he knew any other names on the list.
When the outlet asked why he believes Havana put his name on the list of detained boat passengers, Azcorra Consuegra replied, “They know me. They know me well, they know it all,” then declined to comment further.
Casanova’s brother confirmed the death of his sibling, lamenting to the Associated Press that he had fallen into an “obsessive and diabolical” quest for Cuba’s freedom.
The deceased Cuban native was a truck driver and American citizen who resided in the U.S. for over 20 years, with a wife and daughter.
“They became so obsessed that they didn’t think about the consequences nor their own lives,” the brother added.
The boat itself, per the registration number given by the Cuban government, was a 24-foot Pro-Line center console fishing vessel built in 1981, according to NBC6. Its owner is registered in Miami Lakes, Florida.
An NBC6 reporter saw two FBI agents at the house under which the boat was registered on Wednesday.
What is the US saying?
Washington’s initial response to the shootout seemed to have been confusion, voicing skepticism of Havana’s account while noting a lack of clear details. Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke to reporters ahead of a regional summit with Caribbean leaders in Basseterre, Saint Kitts, saying “various different elements of the U.S. government” were trying to “identify elements of the story that may not be provided to us now.”
“The majority of the facts being publicly reported are those based on the information provided by the Cubans. We will verify that independently as we gather more information, and we’ll be prepared to respond accordingly,” Rubio said. “We’re going to have our own information on this. We’re going to figure out exactly what happened.”
He declined to speculate what had transpired, saying the U.S. wasn’t “going to speculate about whose boat it was, what they were doing, why they were there, what actually happened.”
Overall, Rubio noted that the shooting was “highly unusual,” and something “that hasn’t happened with Cuba in a very long time.”
Florida officials were more bullish. Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced an investigation into the incident, voicing skepticism about Havana’s characterization.
“The Cuban government cannot be trusted, and we will do everything in our power to hold these communists accountable,” he said in a post on X.
Rep. Carlos Gimenez (R-FL) called for regime change in response to the fight.
“The dictatorship in #Cuba has just attacked a boat from Florida & murdered those on board. This regime must be relegated to the dust bin of history!” he said in a post on X.
Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) voiced agreement with Gimenez’s statement.
“We need a full investigation into this deeply concerning situation and to determine what happened. The Communist Cuban regime must be held accountable!” he said.
Will this affect US-Cuba relations?
The shootout’s effect on U.S.-Cuba relations is entirely dependent on the U.S.’s own investigation, but even the slightest misunderstanding could trigger a crisis.
U.S. attention in Latin America has shifted to Cuba after the operation in January to capture former Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro. Havana was an irreplaceable ally of Maduro, and vice versa, with Cuba providing Caracas with valuable intelligence and security personnel.
Cuba became fully reliant on Venezuelan oil, which helped prop up its economy after the Soviet Union’s vital aid ceased with its collapse. Havana imported around 35,000 barrels of Venezuelan oil per day, the cut off of which has triggered a worsening energy crisis.
CUBA SAYS BOAT CARRYING 10 ARMED CUBANS OPENED FIRE IN ATTEMPT TO INFILTRATE ISLAND
Blackouts have consumed the country in recent weeks, including in Havana. Several airlines have suspended flights to the island due to a critical shortage of aviation fuel.
Trump, meanwhile, has floated military operations against Cuba, possibly after his focus shifts away from Iran. If he decides in favor of kinetic or more hostile action against Havana, some believe the boat shootout could provide him with a cause for war.