Cuban soldiers killed four people and wounded six others aboard a Florida-registered speedboat that entered Cuban waters and opened fire on the soldiers first, according to the Cuban government. The US is gathering its own information to verify the facts and determine if the victims were American citizens or permanent residents.
Key points
- The incident occurred about one nautical mile northeast of Cayo Falcones, off Cuba’s north coast.
- One Cuban officer was injured in the exchange of fire.
- US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated the episode was not a US government operation.
- The US Department of Homeland Security and the US Coast Guard are investigating the incident.
- Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier ordered a state-level investigation.
Why it matters
The shooting threatens to increase tensions between the US and Cuba, occurring amid an increasingly aggressive US stance toward Cuba following the ouster of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
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