Four people were killed and several others were injured after a Florida-registered speedboat opened fire on Cuban border guards in the country’s territorial waters, according to a statement from the Cuban Embassy.
Cuban officials said the speedboat was detected early Wednesday morning, near the El Pino channel in Cayo Falcones.
According to the statement, a vessel from Cuba’s Border Guard Troops approached the speedboat for identification. The Cuban government said the crew of the speedboat opened fire, wounding the commander of the Cuban patrol vessel.
Cuban authorities said that during the ensuing confrontation, four people aboard the speedboat were killed and six others were injured.
The injured were evacuated and received medical treatment, the statement said. Their current location is unclear.
"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," a statement from Cuba's Ministry of the Interior says.
While it's unclear whether the occupants of the speedboat are Americans, Florida Rep. Carlos Giménez condemned the shooting.
"The dictatorship in #Cuba has just attacked a boat from Florida & murdered those on board," he said. "This regime must be relegated to the dust bin of history!"
