Cuban border agents fire upon Florida-tagged speedboat, killing four
Al Jazeera • • general
Key Points:
- Cuba’s Ministry of the Interior reported a shootout between its border patrol and a US-licensed speedboat near Villa Clara province, resulting in four deaths and six injuries aboard the boat, with the Cuban commander also wounded.
- The Cuban government accused the speedboat crew of firing first, framing the incident as a defense of national sovereignty amid ongoing tensions with the US.
- This confrontation occurs against a backdrop of escalating US-Cuba tensions, including recent US sanctions, an oil blockade, and hostile rhetoric from US officials following regional political upheavals.
- Cuba has a history of violent encounters with boats it accuses of violating its territorial waters, often linked to irregular migration and smuggling attempts, with previous incidents resulting in casualties on both
