Posted on 02/26/2026 2:38:50 AM PST by Libloather
Cuba’s coast guard shot dead four people and wounded six others aboard a U.S.-registered speedboat in an exchange of gunfire off the communist island’s coast, the Interior Ministry said Wednesday.
In a statement, the ministry said a Cuban patrol vessel had approached the Florida-registered boat to identify those on board when shots were fired from the boat, wounding the captain of the Cuban craft.
According to Havana’s statement, the boat was detected within Cuban territorial waters Wednesday morning on the northeast side of the El Pino channel near Cayo Falcones in Villa Clara province.
Cuban border troops moved in to inspect the vessel, but the "crew of the violating speedboat opened fire," prompting return fire from Cuban forces.
"As a consequence of the confrontation, as of the time of this report, four aggressors on the foreign vessel were killed and six were injured," the ministry said, adding that the injured were evacuated and are receiving medical care.
"In the face of current challenges, Cuba reaffirms its determination to protect its territorial waters, based on the principle that national defense is a fundamental pillar of the Cuban State in safeguarding its sovereignty and ensuring stability in the region."
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
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Can anyone believe a story as told by Cuba’s communist thugs?
No but it is not hard to accept they may have been trying to smuggle family or friends out of Cuba and RAN afoul of the Cuban Coast Guard.
The shooting part puzzles me.
I heard about this last night.
I’m trying to find a way to assign this to democrats infected with a hero complex trying to ‘help’ the cuban people live the socialist dream that’s being ruined by the evil Trump embargo.
Kind of doesn’t add up though, so I’m curious about what really happened.
Russia's foreign ministry spokeswoman said on Thursday that an incident with a Florida-registered speedboat off the coast of Cuba was an ‘aggressive provocation by the United States’ aimed at escalating the situation and triggering a conflict, state-owned TASS news agency reported.
"This is an aggressive provocation by the United States aimed at escalating the situation and detonating a conflict," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova was quoted as saying by TASS.
No mention whether the boat was clear, or stolen out of Florida. I’m not convinced these were US nationals, at this point.
Yes I believe it. The human trafficking body runners are making big money with the cigerrate boats.
In the 80’s, I remember well hearing of people purposely leaving their keys in their cigarette boats overnight and coming back the next day to find $$$$$$ in a compartment for them. A ‘thanks’, if you will, for the unspoken ‘use’ of the boat.
Anyone on that boat, made of either fiberglass or marine plywood, and in their right mind, would know they have no protection from gunfire.
Unless of course they had Humphrey Bogart at the wheel to disable the searchlight with a Winchester, and steer them into the fog and escape.
Casting call for some Expendables, and there is some money.
Anyone on that boat, made of either fiberglass or marine plywood, and in their right mind, would know they have no protection from gunfire.
Unless of course they had Humphrey Bogart at the wheel to disable the searchlight with a Winchester, and steer them into the fog and escape.
Casting call for some Expendables, and there is some money.
“..smuggle family or friends out of Cuba and RAN afoul of the Cuban Coast Guard.”
That is probably close to the truth. Some outlets yesterday were trying to suggest the “US-flagged” boat was our military. Not a chance.
“Can anyone believe a story as told by Cuba’s communist thugs?”
no one with any sense would ...
‘Speedboat’ had 4 dead and 6 wounded. That’s 10 people. Where is there room for escapees?
I am surprised Cuba hasn’t announced they were CIA agents, trying to enter Cuba to foment unrest. (Although, I am sure the CIA has better ways of getting people into Cuba.)
I guess the rule is not to shoot at Coast Guard boats when you are in their territorial waters.
Could they have bern trying to offload infiltrators into Cuba instead?
Article states boat was reported stolen after the incident. According to Cuba, these men were known “terrorists” in Cuban waters. That explains why they shot at Cuban authorities. Probably better than being taken alive.
The million dollar question...Why they were there?
I know you are just being sarcastic,
But I would suggest “To Have and Have Not”, the Hawkes-Hemingway b&w masterpiece where both things happen. In fact, if you watch closely, you can see the bullet hole in the searchlight, and “Steve’s” passenger ‘s shoulder.
I somehow believe Cuba on this.
Might be fentanyl runners. Also, anybody firing on a military craft deserves what they get back.
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