Cuba’s Interior Ministry said Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026, that Cuban border and coast guard forces killed four people and wounded six others during an exchange of gunfire with a U.S.-registered speedboat off the island’s coast.
The ministry said the vessel was registered in Florida and that the confrontation began when Cuban personnel approached the boat to identify those on board.
According to the Interior Ministry statement, shots were fired from the speedboat, wounding the captain or commander of the Cuban patrol craft. Cuban forces returned fire, the ministry said, and the clash ended with four deaths aboard the foreign vessel and six injured. Cuban authorities said the wounded were evacuated and provided medical treatment.
The government did not immediately identify the people on the speedboat, describe their nationalities, or provide a detailed account of what the vessel was doing in Cuban waters.
What Cuba Says Happened
In its statement, the Interior Ministry said a Cuban patrol unit approached the Florida-registered boat to conduct identification. The ministry said the people on board the speedboat opened fire first, injuring the Cuban patrol’s commander.
Cuban forces then engaged and, according to the statement, killed four people described as “aggressors” and wounded six more.
Cuban officials said the wounded received medical care after being evacuated from the scene. The ministry did not provide details about the injuries, whether any were critical, or where the wounded were transported for treatment.
The statement also did not specify the precise location beyond being off Cuba’s coast. Some reporting described the incident as occurring near Cayo Falcones in Villa Clara province, but Cuban authorities have not provided a full public map reference in the brief initial statement.
