{"id":27372,"date":"2026-02-25T17:32:11","date_gmt":"2026-02-25T22:32:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/four-dead-after-florida-boat-crew-fires-on-cuban-forces-in-caribbean-waters\/"},"modified":"2026-02-25T17:32:11","modified_gmt":"2026-02-25T22:32:11","slug":"four-dead-after-florida-boat-crew-fires-on-cuban-forces-in-caribbean-waters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/four-dead-after-florida-boat-crew-fires-on-cuban-forces-in-caribbean-waters\/","title":{"rendered":"Four Dead After Florida Boat Crew Fires on Cuban Forces in Caribbean Waters"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n

Cuban authorities announced Wednesday that their military personnel fatally shot four individuals traveling on a speedboat registered in Florida after those aboard the vessel fired weapons at Cuban forces in territorial waters.<\/p>

The Caribbean nation’s Interior Ministry released a brief statement regarding the deadly encounter, specifying that the confrontation took place approximately one mile northeast of Cayo Falcones along Cuba’s northern coastline.<\/p>

Authorities have not confirmed whether any American citizens were among those on the watercraft.<\/p>

While Cuban officials disclosed the vessel’s registration information, The Associated Press could not immediately confirm boat ownership details since Florida does not make watercraft registration records available to the public.<\/p>

According to the ministry’s account, the incident resulted in injuries to one Cuban military member, four fatalities among the boat’s occupants, and six additional people wounded.<\/p>

The purpose behind the boat’s presence in Cuban territorial waters remains unknown.<\/p>

In their official statement, ministry representatives said Cuba’s administration was “safeguarding its sovereignty and ensuring stability in the region.”<\/p>

U.S. Vice President JD Vance confirmed Wednesday evening that Secretary of State Marco Rubio had briefed him regarding the incident. Vance noted that the White House was keeping watch over developments but refused to share additional information.<\/p>

“Hopefully it’s not as bad as we fear it could be,” Vance said.<\/p>

Florida’s attorney general, James Uthmeier, announced he has directed prosecutors to collaborate with federal, state and law enforcement agencies to launch an investigation.<\/p>

“The Cuban government cannot be trusted, and we will do everything in our power to hold these communists accountable,” he wrote on X.<\/p>

Florida Representative Carlos A. Gimenez condemned the four deaths and labeled the Cuban administration as murderers.<\/p>

“This regime must be relegated to the dust bin of history!” he wrote on X.<\/p>

Confrontations between Cuba’s maritime forces and American-flagged speedboats operating in Cuban waters occur regularly, though recent incidents involving gunfire from passengers or resulting in deaths have not been documented.<\/p>

Historically, some American-registered vessels have carried unspecified cargo toward the island nation or attempted to transport Cuban nationals illegally into United States territory.<\/p>

U.S. Coast Guard representatives did not respond immediately to requests for information. Both the Pentagon and Department of Homeland Security referred inquiries to the State Department, which has not yet provided a response.<\/p>

This confrontation unfolds amid escalating tensions between Washington and Havana following increased pressure from the Trump administration. The two nations previously worked together on anti-drug trafficking efforts and other criminal matters but have discontinued such cooperation.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Cuban military forces fatally shot four individuals aboard a Florida-registered speedboat after the vessel’s occupants opened fire on Cuban soldiers. The confrontation occurred approximately one mile northeast of Cayo Falcones off Cuba’s northern coastline, leaving one Cuban officer wounded and six others aboard the boat injured.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":27371,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[832],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27372","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world-news"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/news-1772058730964.jpg?fit=1000%2C773&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pbtNqq-77u","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":32761,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/fifth-death-reported-in-cuba-speedboat-shooting-involving-florida-vessel\/","url_meta":{"origin":27372,"position":0},"title":"Fifth Death Reported in Cuba Speedboat Shooting Involving Florida Vessel","author":"Admin","date":"March 6, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Cuban officials report another fatality from last month's deadly confrontation between Cuban soldiers and occupants of a Florida-registered speedboat. The February 26 incident has now claimed five lives, with Cuba alleging the boat carried armed Cuban-Americans attempting to infiltrate the island.","rel":"","context":"In "World News"","block_context":{"text":"World News","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/world-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/news-1772832920070.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/news-1772832920070.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/news-1772832920070.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/news-1772832920070.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":27748,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/russia-calls-cuba-tensions-heating-up-after-deadly-speedboat-clash\/","url_meta":{"origin":27372,"position":1},"title":"Russia Calls Cuba Tensions ‘Heating Up’ After Deadly Speedboat Clash","author":"Admin","date":"February 26, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Moscow is calling for calm after Cuban forces killed four exiles and wounded six others in a deadly confrontation with a Florida speedboat. The Kremlin described the incident as tensions escalate around the Caribbean island.","rel":"","context":"In "World News"","block_context":{"text":"World News","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/world-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/news-1772102749247.jpg?fit=450%2C304&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":28255,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/cuban-officials-in-contact-with-us-after-deadly-shooting-involving-florida-boat\/","url_meta":{"origin":27372,"position":2},"title":"Cuban Officials in Contact with US After Deadly Shooting Involving Florida Boat","author":"Admin","date":"February 26, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Cuban authorities are coordinating with U.S. officials following a deadly confrontation where Cuban forces killed four people aboard a Florida speedboat in Cuban waters. The incident involved 10 armed individuals, with Cuba claiming they were planning an invasion and the U.S. investigating the circumstances.","rel":"","context":"In "World News"","block_context":{"text":"World News","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/world-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/news-1772152564962.jpg?fit=1000%2C719&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/news-1772152564962.jpg?fit=1000%2C719&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/news-1772152564962.jpg?fit=1000%2C719&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/news-1772152564962.jpg?fit=1000%2C719&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":27662,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/russia-blames-u-s-for-deadly-cuba-boat-clash-that-killed-4\/","url_meta":{"origin":27372,"position":3},"title":"Russia Blames U.S. for Deadly Cuba Boat Clash That Killed 4","author":"Admin","date":"February 26, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Moscow's foreign ministry is calling Wednesday's deadly speedboat incident off Cuba's coast an intentional American provocation. The clash resulted in four deaths and six injuries when Cuban patrol forces engaged a Florida-registered vessel that had entered Cuban waters and opened fire.","rel":"","context":"In "World News"","block_context":{"text":"World News","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/world-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/news-1772091057196.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/news-1772091057196.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/news-1772091057196.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/news-1772091057196.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/news-1772091057196.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":27287,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/deadly-shooting-between-florida-speedboat-and-cuban-forces-leaves-4-dead\/","url_meta":{"origin":27372,"position":4},"title":"Deadly Shooting Between Florida Speedboat and Cuban Forces Leaves 4 Dead","author":"Admin","date":"February 25, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Cuban officials report that four people died and seven were injured during a violent confrontation when a speedboat from Florida entered Cuban territorial waters and exchanged gunfire with Cuban border patrol forces on Wednesday. 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