Rubio orders US probe into deadly Cuba speedboat clash

Key topics:Cuban forces kill four after speedboat shootout off Villa ClaraRubio orders US investigation amid rising Havana tensionsIncident threatens to escalate US-Cuba maritime standoff.Sign up for your early morning brew of the BizNews Insider to keep you up to speed with the content that matters. The newsletter will land in your inbox at 5:30am weekdays. Register here.Support South Africa’s bastion of independent journalism, offering balanced insights on investments, business, and the political economy, by joining BizNews Premium. Register here.If you prefer WhatsApp for updates, sign up to the BizNews channel here..By Jim Wyss.Cuban forces killed four people who had opened fire from a speedboat with Florida tags, an incident with the potential to escalate an already tense standoff with the US. The vessel approached within one nautical mile off the coast of Villa Clara early Wednesday, Cuba’s Interior Ministry said in a statement. When security forces approached to identify the passengers, the occupants started shooting at border patrol, injuring the commander of the military vessel. Six others on the speedboat were wounded and are being provided with medical care. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters on Wednesday afternoon that the Department of Homeland Security and Coast Guard would be looking into the incident, as the US must independently verify the information that came from the Cuban government. “We are going to find out exactly what happened here and we will respond accordingly,” he said in the evening before leaving St. Kitts, where he attended the Caricom summit. “We’re going to have our own information,” the secretary added. “Suffice to say, it is highly unusual to see shootouts in the open sea like that.”The New York Times cited a US official saying that no US Naval or Coast Guard boat was involved, but that it was a US civilian vessel attempting to get relatives out of Cuba. The vessel is a 24-foot Pro-Line fishing boat built in 1981 with an outboard engine, according to Boat History Report.The Pentagon, US Southern Command and the US Coast Guard didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment. Vice President JD Vance told reporters at the White House on Wednesday afternoon that details were still scant, but “it’s not as bad as we fear it could be.” .Florida Congressman Carlos Gimenez said in a statement posted to X that the incident was a “massacre” and demanded an investigation to determine whether any of the victims were US citizens or “legal residents.”While the details of the incident remain unclear, “it shows that Cuba is willing to use force to assert control, while also signaling deterrence,” said Brian Fonseca, director of Florida International University’s Institute for Public Policy. Since removing Nicolas Maduro from power in Venezuela in early January, Donald Trump’s administration has turned its attention to the communist-run island as it seeks to consolidate its influence in Latin America. The US has effectively imposed a naval blockade on Cuba, dramatically reduced its access to fuel. It has pressured other nations to stop using Cuban health workers, which generates much-needed hard currency for the island, particularly now that its tourism industry has taken a hit. Trump has also mused about the collapse of the six-decade-old regime. Trump had appeared to be providing some relief for Cuba as recently as Tuesday, when the government signaled it would allow fuel imports for private businesses on the island.“Faced with current challenges, Cuba reaffirms its commitment to protecting its territorial waters, based on the principle that national defense is a fundamental pillar of the Cuban state,” the island’s ministry said. The incident occurred the same day as Rubio arrived in Saint Kitts and Nevis for meetings with Caribbean leaders. The Caricom summit started Tuesday, with outgoing Chairman and Jamaica Prime Minister Andrew Holness warning of a migration crisis due to Cuba’s worsening conditions and calling for Washington to hold constructive talks with Havana. Wednesday’s altercation also comes just a day after the 30-year anniversary of another fatal incident between the Cuban government and two Florida-based unarmed aircraft that Havana claimed had violated its national airspace.The death of the four pilots, all part of Brothers to the Rescue, a Miami-based anti-Castro group, soured ties between the US and Cuba, and led then-President Bill Clinton to sign the Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity Act, which tightened the economic embargo on the island.Cuba has been a one-party state ever since the 1959 revolution led by Fidel Castro toppled a US-backed dictator. The Caribbean nation of about 10 million relied on support from the Soviet Union until its collapse in 1991, and had until recently been relying on subsidized Venezuelan oil to meet its energy needs..© 2026 Bloomberg L.P.

Rubio orders US probe into deadly Cuba speedboat clash

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