Authorities in Havana reported the seizure of an American speedboat that entered Cuban territorial waters. An exchange of fire resulted in four fatalities, including at least one U.S. citizen. Cuban services found 14 rifles and 13,000 rounds of ammunition on board. The incident has sparked serious diplomatic tension, forcing the Washington administration into rare investigative cooperation with the communist regime to clarify the circumstances of this armed expedition.
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An incident in Cuban territorial waters at the end of February 2026 sheds new light on the activity of paramilitary groups operating from Florida. According to official statements from the government in Havana, the Cuban border guard intercepted a fast speedboat heading towards the island. When the vessel refused to stop, a violent exchange of fire ensued. As a result, four of the ten people on board were killed. The U.S. State Department confirmed that among the fatalities is at least one American citizen, and a second wounded individual was detained. The remaining passengers are most likely Cuban emigrants permanently residing in Miami. Particular attention is drawn to the arsenal found on the boat. The Cuban Ministry of the Interior presented evidence in the form of 14 assault rifles and massive ammunition supplies (approximately 13,000 rounds), suggesting this was not a smuggling attempt but a failed armed action of a political nature. Cuba accused Washington of years of passivity towards refugee organizations from Florida, which openly call for the overthrow of the government in Havana. Meanwhile, confusion reigns within the Cuban diaspora circles in Miami; many exile leaders distance themselves from "adventurism," pointing out that such actions only strengthen the island's repressive state apparatus and hinder diplomatic dialogue. Relations between the USA and Cuba have remained tense since the government revolution in 1959. Despite a brief thaw during Barack Obama's presidency, subsequent administrations reinstated a hardline policy, maintaining the embargo and listing the island as a state sponsor of terrorism. Despite sharp rhetoric, both countries have shown an unusual readiness for technical cooperation within the investigation. Havana conveyed that the American side shows a "willingness to cooperate" in identifying the organizers of the voyage and the sources of weapon financing. Experts note that for the Trump administration, this incident is problematic: on one hand, it supports the anti-communist aspirations of emigrants, but on the other, it cannot accept the illegal export of weapons and private military operations launching from U.S. shores.