HAVANA – Cuban authorities have disclosed new details about a deadly maritime confrontation this week, revealing that a group of Cuban exiles attempting to reach the island carried an extensive weapons cache including nearly 13,000 ammunition rounds, 13 rifles, and 11 handguns.
According to Havana officials, the Wednesday incident began when 10 Cuban nationals traveling from the United States entered Cuban territorial waters and fired upon a border patrol vessel. Cuban forces responded with gunfire, resulting in four fatalities and six wounded individuals who are now in custody.
During a televised broadcast on Friday, high-ranking Cuban Interior Ministry officials presented the confiscated weapons and equipment in an effort to support their version of events. The display included containers filled with a portion of the 12,846 recovered ammunition rounds and photographs of both vessels showing extensive bullet damage from what officials described as close-range combat at approximately 20 meters.
The incident occurs during a particularly tense period in U.S.-Cuban diplomatic relations, following President Donald Trump’s increased pressure on the island nation through what amounts to an oil embargo after the January 3 capture and removal of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, a key Cuban partner.
Cuban officials have characterized the attackers as Cuban exiles, including some previously designated as suspected terrorists, who departed from U.S. territory with plans to create disorder and target military installations on the Communist-governed island.
Colonel Victor Alvarez of the Interior Ministry explained the group’s alleged objectives: “The intent of this group is to infiltrate, to promote public disorder. To incite the people to unite. To carry out something violent. Attack military units in order to incite social unrest and to unite the people in order to steal the revolution. That has been duly proven.”
American officials have questioned Cuba’s account of the events. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Wednesday that his administration would conduct an independent investigation, emphasizing that the operation was not sanctioned by the U.S. and involved no American government personnel.
Cuban authorities reported that the infiltrators departed from Marathon in the Florida Keys using two boats but abandoned one due to mechanical problems. They consolidated onto a single speedboat that U.S. officials confirmed was reported as stolen in Florida.
The recovered equipment included a drone, communication devices, cutting tools, knives, a portable generator, and various other supplies. Officials also discovered insignia from the November 30th Movement and People’s Self-Defense, organizations opposed to the Cuban government.
According to Cuban accounts, a five-member border patrol crew aboard a 9-meter vessel first observed the approaching boat around 7 a.m., with some occupants already in the water approximately one nautical mile from a small island off Cuba’s northern coastline, roughly 100 miles from Marathon.
Cuban officials stated the infiltrators initiated gunfire from 185 meters away, striking the Cuban patrol boat captain in the stomach. Despite severe bleeding, the wounded captain continued steering toward the attacking vessel, resulting in the close-quarters firefight at about 20 meters distance.
Cuba characterized its military response as measured and appropriate.
Interior Ministry Colonel Ybey Carballo stated: “It is a defensive model that practically never uses firearms, and the use of firearms is proportional to the type of action being carried out against our force.”
The detained Cuban nationals are receiving medical treatment while facing multiple serious charges including armed assault, unauthorized entry into national territory, terrorism-related crimes, and weapons trafficking. Prosecutor Edward Robert Campbell announced during the television program that convictions could result in prison sentences ranging from 10 to 15 years for lesser charges, and 20 to 30 years or potentially capital punishment for the most serious offenses.
