CUBA CHARGES SIX WITH TERRORISM AFTER COAST GUARD SHOOTOUT NEAR HAVANA
Cuban prosecutors have filed terrorism charges against six crew members of a U.S.-flagged speedboat intercepted by the island’s coast guard after a deadly shootout on Feb. 25 near the country’s northern shoreline, authorities said.
- Advertisement -
The attorney general’s office said the defendants — described as U.S.-based Cuban nationals — are accused of loading the vessel with weapons and heading toward Cuba with the alleged aim of destabilizing the government in Havana. The six will be held in provisional detention as the investigation proceeds, according to an official statement.
The confrontation unfolded when a Cuban coast guard patrol approached the speedboat and demanded identification. Those aboard the vessel opened fire, prompting the exchange, the statement said. The boat came within roughly one nautical mile of Cuba’s coast before it was stopped. Four people aboard the speedboat were killed in the clash, including at least one U.S. citizen, authorities said. At least two people on the vessel were U.S. citizens.
Officials did not immediately release the names of those charged or those killed. No Cuban casualties were reported.
The terrorism accusations center on what prosecutors characterized as an armed infiltration mission organized from outside Cuba. Authorities said the boat carried multiple weapons and was headed toward the island to carry out violent acts. Details on the specific weapons involved or the intended target were not provided.
The case underscores a sharp security flashpoint in already fraught U.S.-Cuba relations. Havana said last week that Washington had expressed willingness to cooperate in the post-incident inquiry. U.S. officials did not immediately comment publicly on the episode or on potential cooperation.
Tensions have deepened in recent years as the Trump administration intensified pressure on the Cuban government with sanctions and energy restrictions, and backed efforts to remove Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, whose government has been a key supplier of oil to Cuba. Cuban authorities have long framed such measures as part of a broader campaign to strangle the island’s economy and foment unrest.
Historically, Cuba has confronted armed incursions launched from South Florida, particularly in the years after the 1959 revolution, when exile groups mounted maritime raids and sabotage operations. While such attacks became less frequent in recent decades, the government in Havana has periodically accused anti-government militants abroad of plotting or financing violent actions inside the country.
Under Cuban law, provisional detention allows suspects to be held while authorities compile evidence and prepare for trial. Prosecutors said additional investigative steps are underway, including forensic analysis of the vessel and its contents, and interviews with surviving detainees.
The seizure of a U.S.-flagged boat so close to Cuban shores — and the rare admission of a firefight at sea — is likely to reverberate in both Havana and Miami, where exile politics and Cuba policy remain potent forces. It also highlights the risks of clandestine maritime crossings in the Florida Straits, a corridor where law enforcement from both countries has, at times, coordinated to counter trafficking and migration flows even amid political rancor.
Authorities did not specify when the six defendants are expected to appear in court. No timeline for the completion of the investigation was given.
Officials urged the public to avoid speculation as the probe continues and said further information would be released through official channels.
By Abdiwahab Ahmed
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
