Cuban forces kill four people aboard a Florida-registered speedboat – Boston News, Weather, Sports

(CNN) — Four people in a Florida-registered speedboat were killed by Cuban forces Wednesday morning, Cuba’s interior ministry said.

Six other people aboard the vessel were injured and are receiving medical attention.

Cuban border guard troops approached the boat to identify it after it entered Cuban territorial waters in Falcones Cay, Villa Clara Province, the ministry said.

The Cuban forces were then shot at by someone from the boat, injuring the commander of the Cuban boat, the statement said. The border guards then returned fire.

The nationalities of those aboard the speedboat are unknown. Falcones Cay is just over 100 miles from Florida.

“In light of the current challenges, Cuba reaffirms its willingness to protect its territorial waters, based on the fact that national defense is a fundamental pillar for the Cuban state in favor of protecting its sovereignty and stability in the region,” the Cuban interior ministry said.

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier said he has directed the Office of Statewide Prosecution to help federal, state, and law enforcmeent authorities begin an investigation.

US Republican Congressman Carlos A. Gimenez said the incident raised concerns about the use of lethal force against people aboard a US-registered vessel and called for an investigation into the incident.

“United States authorities must determine whether any of the victims were US citizens or legal residents and establish exactly what occurred,” he said in a statement posted to X. “The regime in Cuba must be relegated to the dustbin of history for its countless crimes against humanity.”

Republican Senator Rick Scott, also from Florida, called the incident “deeply concerning” and said the Cuban government “must be held accountable.”

CNN has reached out to the US State Department for comment.

Source link