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By Dan Gooding and Gabe Whisnant
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Cuba’s coast guard killed four people and wounded six others during an exchange of fire with a Florida-registered speedboat off the island’s coast, according to the country’s Interior Ministry.
Cuban officials said a patrol vessel approached the boat Wednesday morning to identify those on board when shots were fired from the speedboat, wounding the captain of the Cuban craft.
The Interior Ministry said Cuban forces returned fire, killing four people aboard the vessel and injuring six others, who were later evacuated and given medical treatment. Authorities did not immediately release details about the identities or nationalities of those involved or specify the exact location of the confrontation.
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Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday he had been briefed on the incident involving Cuban soldiers and that the United States is gathering its own information to determine whether the victims were U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents.
“We have various different elements of the U.S. government that are trying to identify elements of the story that may not be provided to us now,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said while at the airport in Basseterre, St. Kitts.
Trump’s top diplomat refused to speculate on what happened, saying that its could be a “wide range of things,” and that the U.S. will not solely rely on what the Cuban authorities have provided thus far. Rubio said he learned of the shooting before the Cuban government posted about it on social media, noting that the United States maintains “constant contact” with Cuba at the Coast Guard level.
“Suffice it to say, it is highly unusual to see shootouts in open sea like that. It’s not something that happens every day,” he said.
Vice President JD Vance said Wednesday that he had been briefed on the incident by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and that the White House was monitoring the situation, but he declined to provide further details.
“Hopefully it’s not as bad as we fear it could be,” Vance said.
Newsweek reached out to the U.S. State Department via email on Wednesday for comment.
Why It Matters
Diplomatic relations between the United States and Cuba remain tense, with President Donald Trump suggesting on a few occasions that he would like to see a leadership change, while also looking to make a deal with Havana on oil imports. For decades, the U.S. has been vocal in its opposition to Cuba's government, although diplomatic ties were restored somewhat during former President Barack Obama's administration with the reopening of embassies in both countries.
What To Know
The Cuban Embassy in the U.S. said that the "violating speedboat" with the Florida registration FL7726SH was detected in Cuban waters on Wednesday morning. The boat got within 1 nautical mile of the El Pino channel in Cayo Falcones, the embassy said.
When Border Guard troops approached the vessel to ask for identification, the crew allegedly opened fire on the Cuban personnel. The commander of the Ministry of the Interior vessel was injured.
Four people on the U.S.-registered boat were killed, while six were injured, at the time of reporting. Those who were injured received medical assistance, the embassy said.
“The majority of the facts being publicly reported are those by the information provided by the Cubans. We will verify that independently as we gather more information, and we’ll be prepared to respond accordingly," Rubio said. "We’re going to have our own information on this. We’re going to figure out exactly what happened.”
Clashes between Cuba’s coast guard and U.S.-flagged speedboats are not uncommon in Cuban waters, though reports of passengers opening fire or being killed have been rare in recent years. In the past, some of the vessels were suspected of transporting unidentified cargo to the island or attempting to pick up Cubans for smuggling into the United States.
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What People Are Saying
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, on X: "I’ve directed the Office of Statewide Prosecution to work with our federal, state, and law enforcement partners to begin an investigation. The Cuban government cannot be trusted, and we will do everything in our power to hold these communists accountable."
The Cuban Embassy in the U.S., on X: "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."
Florida Republican Representative Carlos Gimenez, on X: "The dictatorship in #Cuba has just attacked a boat from Florida & murdered those on board. This regime must be relegated to the dust bin of history!"
What Happens Next
Rubio said the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Coast Guard are investigating the incident and that he wants to verify the facts. He said it was not a U.S. government operation and declined to speculate about who owned the boat, what it was doing or how the incident unfolded.
The Secretary of State added: “We are going to know, and when we know, then we’ll tell you and we’ll do what needs to be done about it, depending on what it is.”
Update 2/25/26, 4:13 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
Update 2/25/26, 5:25 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
Update 2/25/26, 6:31 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information and remarks.
Update 2/25/26, 7:14 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information and remarks.
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