Cuba said its government is communicating with U.S. officials following the fatal shooting of a U.S. boat in Cuban waters, and it expects further information from Washington about the people detained and how the trip was organized.
Carlos Fernández de Cossío, Cuba’s deputy foreign minister, said Havana is willing to exchange information with U.S. officials after Wednesday’s firefight off the island’s north coast. He said Cuba plans to ask U.S. authorities for details about the suspects and what means they used to organize the trip, and he described the U.S. as showing “willingness … to cooperate in clarifying the facts.”
Cuba’s Ministry of the Interior said the incident began Wednesday morning when a Florida-registered speedboat carrying 10 armed Cubans opened fire on soldiers off Cuba’s north coast. The Cuban government said Cuban troops responded, killing four suspects and injuring six others, and it said one Cuban official was also injured.
The U.S. account differs in who was on board. A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the ongoing investigation into Wednesday’s firefight, said at least one American citizen was killed and another was wounded. The official said another member of the 10-person crew was in the U.S. on a visa, and that several others may have been green card holders.
Cuba also released information tied to the boat and the alleged suspects. Cuba said it found assault and sniper rifles, pistols, night vision equipment, bayonets, camouflage clothing, combat rations, communication equipment, and “a large number of insignia from counterrevolutionary terrorist organizations.” Cuba said this information was still preliminary and that more details would be provided in the coming days.
Officials said the boat used in the incident had been reported stolen. According to a report from the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, the owner of a 1981 Pro Line boat said it had been taken by an employee; the report said the owner told authorities he lives in Miami-Dade County but keeps the boat at a Big Pine Key house and reported it stolen after receiving calls from reporters and saying he had not seen it docked there for more than a week. Cuba’s statements also included a list of names of alleged suspects, accusing them of planning to invade the island and unleash terrorism.
As the investigations proceed, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday evening that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Coast Guard are investigating the incident. Rubio said “the majority of the facts being publicly reported are those by the information provided by the Cubans,” and he said the U.S. would verify those claims independently as it gathers more information.
In Havana, people discussed what happened and what it could mean for relations with the United States. Street musician Efraín Scotland, speaking outside, criticized the alleged attempt by 10 people to invade, saying it would not bring down the Cuban nation. Construction worker Roberto Henry Figueredo praised Cuba’s response, saying he believed the defense was “good” and that if it happened again, Cubans would withstand the attack.
Cuban political scientist Rafael M. Hernández said many questions remained unanswered about the purpose of the alleged operation, telling reporters there were still questions about what the people were doing, what they were looking for, whether they were trying to start a liberation movement or sabotage Cuba’s economy. He described the alleged operation as “silly and counterproductive,” while others worried the shooting could worsen an already frayed relationship between Havana and Washington.
Rosa Larrondo, a Havana resident, said she expected tensions to rise and described the Wednesday shooting as “a violation of the sovereignty of the Cuban people.”