Cuba says four shot dead on US-registered speedboat

[El Presidente]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c24drvj8yl2o

Cuba says four shot dead on US-registered speedboat

The incident took place near an island in Cuba's Villa Clara province, on its northern coast.

ByBernd Debusmann Jr

White House reporter

• Published
  25 February 2026, 19:16 GMT

ource,Getty Images 

Cuba's Interior Ministry has announced that four men on a US-registered speedboat were shot and killed after being intercepted in Cuban waters.

In a statement, the ministry said that the speedboat's passengers opened fire on a coast guard vessel that approached them.

Six additional passengers were wounded in the incident, which took place near an island on Cuba's northern coast.

The identity of those on board the vessel or what it was doing in the area are unclear, with the Cuban government saying an investigation has been launched to "clarify" the event.

In statement posted on X via the Cuban Embassy in the US, the Interior Ministry said that the Florida-registered vessel - with the registration number FL7726SH - was detected near Cayo Falcones, in the country's central Villa Clara province on Wednesday morning.

When a Cuban boat carrying five members of the ministry's border guard approached the vessel for identification, "the crew of the violating speedboat opened fire" and wounded the Cuban commander, the statement said.

"As a consequence of the confrontation, as of the time of this report, four aggressors on the foreign vessel were killed and six injured," the statement added.

Those injured were evacuated and given medical assistance.

The BBC has contacted the US State Department and White House for comment.

The incident comes amid increased tensions between the US and Cuba, which is facing a deepening fuel crisis that has been worsened by the US blocking oil shipments from Venezuela, a long-standing ally in the region, to the island.

The Cuban statement alluded to these tensions, saying that "in the face of current challenges, Cuba reaffirms its determination to protect it territorial waters" and safeguard its sovereignty.

The incident also comes as US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrives in Saint Kitts and Nevis to meet with Caribbean leaders amid the Trump administration's push to ramp up pressure on Cuba's government, as well as other regional issues.

[NYGuido]

Well, this is not going to end well. If the account is accurate, sounds like the Cubans were within their rights, but the bigger question is whether the US will care if/when it ultimately responds.

[SonicStag]

On the face of it, it appears a lot more legal than blowing up boats in the middle of the ocean belonging to other countries. What sad times we live in that there’s no end in sight for the suffering of innocent Cuban civilians who are being punished by the Cuban authorities & in turn, the USA government. Let’s hope things de-escalate quickly as the world needs more peace & humanity.

[AshMe Nothing]

Hopefully cooler heads prevail here. Idk if we can ever count on the facts coming from either side of this. Propaganda to the left and right. I have a few questions as do many I’m sure.

1. I’ve never traveled to another country armed.
2. If I did I would certainly not expect it to turn out well in my favor. In ANY country including mine.
3. If I felt the need to be armed while traveling to another country why would I be going there? Seems like nefarious intentions on the part of the travelers.
4. Desperation causes the human mind to do things that it would not normally or otherwise do or think to do.

More facts are needed in this instance.

[Wiclovis18]

Just because the boat is registered in Florida does not mean the occupants are from Florida. My childhood friends' father had retired to Florida and sadly passed away about 10 years after moving down there from Wisconsin. Mail accrued while my buddy was settling the estate and coordinating other actions as the executor identified it in his fathers will. Someone was able to take the mail and gather enough PII to register a boat, several vehicles, and a few other things in his deceased father's name. Somehow, one of the vehicles was stopped in a traffic violation where all this eventually came to light. I cannot say with certainty it was from the mail that was accruing due to the guy's death (at least that's what authorities think), but I would wager there are systems/scams out there to steal information for illegal purposes.

If I had to guess, it was illicit activity and a boat that was indeed registered in Florida that caught the business end of a Cuban patrol boat. I am also willing to wager the dead people were not US citizens.

[Vetteman]

I’m a little surprised they didn’t immediately use US nomenclature like armed terrorists or armed narco traffickers.

[BrightonCorgi]

What were the occupants of the boat expecting?

[chasy]

Sounds like a classic case of play stupid games, win stupid prizes.

[JPark3]

One of the guys Cuba claims to have detained was interviewed on a video call and says he doesn't know why he's been named since hes still in the US.

[Habanoschris]

The timing of this stands out to me and makes we wonder if this group of people are part of a sponsored network or not. I'm sure I'm not alone in that. 

[MrBirdman]

I’m not sure why everyone is discounting the possibility that the CIA was aware of this potential infiltration. As I’ve point out elsewhere, the US would need a credible alternative government unless it wants to cut a deal with the current one. I predicted in another thread that something like this could be in the cards - and that it was probably a terrible idea! 

Given they couldn’t even make it onto the island, though, it seems unlikely they had any active assistance. At least I hope our intelligence services haven’t become so incompetent - again. 

[Ken Gargett]

last i read was that the boat occupants were all dressed in camo gear, and obviously highly armed. but it did say among the arms were home made bombs. makes you wonder. they were all were of cuban descent and i gather some had US citizenship (hard to blame the govt without more evidence as it is not as though every country does not have idiots). they also arrested another bloke who was already in Cuba. i'm sure that will go well for him.

almost sounds like a bunch off ex-pats had way too much rum, thought that they would repeat the famous Granma trip and be the new Castro, although diametrically opposed. and less bright. 

[BrightonCorgi]

If it ever comes time for the US to make a move on Cuba, it's going to be bigger and smarter than the Bay of Pigs.  

[Wiclovis18]

Update: 8/10 Cuban, 2/10 American. Boat was stolen. I was almost perfect in my guess.