A deadly confrontation between Cuban forces and a Florida-registered speedboat left four people dead and six wounded on February 25, 2026. The incident took place near Cayo Falcones off Cuba's north coast, around 120 miles east of Havana, when a Border Guard patrol approached the vessel for identification in Cuban territorial waters.
Cuban forces killed four people and wounded six others aboard a Florida-based speedboat that entered Cuban waters and opened fire on a Cuban patrol, according to Cuba's Ministry of Interior. The crew of the violating speedboat opened fire on the Cuban personnel, resulting in the injury of the commander of the Cuban vessel. Cuba said its forces fatally shot four heavily armed people attempting to "infiltrate" its territory on a Florida-registered speedboat. The passengers were Cuban residents of the US and were armed with assault rifles, handguns and Molotov cocktails, and had "intended to carry out an infiltration for terrorist purposes".
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the U.S. would conduct an independent investigation before responding. Rubio said the majority of information the US possesses is what Cuban authorities are providing. Rep. Carlos Giménez, who was born in Cuba, called the incident a "massacre" and said the use of lethal force against individuals on a boat registered to the U.S. raises serious concerns. Meanwhile, Florida State Attorney General James Uthmeier directed the Office of Statewide Prosecution to work with federal, state, and law enforcement partners to begin an investigation.
The incident comes as tensions between the U.S. and Cuba have heightened over the Trump administration's restriction of oil shipments to Cuba, especially from Venezuela. This confrontation involved a civilian boat attempting to evacuate relatives from the island, a U.S. official told The New York Times. The boat's owner reported it was stolen from a marina in the Florida Keys, though it is highly unusual to see shootouts in open sea like that. Both sides have said they're investigating further—the US to verify the facts independently, and Cuba to clarify remaining details of the encounter.