A confrontation between Cuban border guards and a Florida-registered speedboat in Cuban waters on February 25, 2026, resulted in four deaths and six injuries aboard the vessel, according to the Cuban government. The incident involved gunfire after guards approached for identification. U.S. officials described the boat as part of a civilian effort to rescue relatives from Cuba.
The clash occurred early on February 25, 2026, when Cuban authorities detected a speedboat with Florida registration number FL7726SH entering territorial waters near Cayo Falcones in Corralillo municipality, Villa Clara province. The vessel had approached within one nautical mile northeast of the El Pino channel.
According to a statement from Cuba's Ministry of the Interior, shared by the Cuban Embassy in the United States, a Border Guard unit with five service members approached the boat to request identification. The ministry claimed that the crew of the speedboat opened fire first, injuring the commander of the Cuban vessel. In the ensuing firefight, four people on the speedboat were killed, described as "aggressors," while six others were injured and subsequently evacuated for medical treatment.
The Cuban statement emphasized the country's commitment to defending its sovereignty: "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. Investigations by the competent authorities continue in order to fully clarify the events."
From the U.S. perspective, an unnamed official told The New York Times that the speedboat was a civilian craft involved in "a flotilla to get relatives out of Cuba" and not affiliated with the U.S. Navy or Coast Guard. The U.S. State Department had not responded to requests for comment at the time of reporting.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeir responded by directing the Office of Statewide Prosecution to investigate alongside federal and state partners. "The Cuban government cannot be trusted, and we will do everything in our power to hold these communists accountable," Uthmeir said.
Rep. Carlos Gimenez (R-FL), former Mayor of Miami-Dade, called the event a "massacre" and urged an immediate U.S. investigation to determine if victims were U.S. citizens or legal residents and to establish the facts. He added, "The regime in Cuba must be relegated to the dustbin of history for its countless crimes against humanity."
The incident highlights ongoing tensions between Cuba and the United States over migration and territorial claims, with both sides presenting differing accounts of the confrontation.
