The Cuban Coast Guard killed at least four people on the Florida-registered boat and injured at least six Wednesday in a deadly firefight off the coast of Cuba.
According to a statement released by the Cuban government, the American boat was travelling in Cuban waters when it was detected and approached by a vessel from the Cuban Coast Guard. Crew aboard the speedboat then “opened fire on the Cuban personnel, resulting in the injury of the commander of the Cuban vessel.”
The incident occurs at a time of heightened tensions between Cuba and the U.S., which is reportedly seeking regime change in the country. The Trump administration has cut Cuba off from a major benefactor after the capture of Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro and threatened to place tariffs on any country that sells oil to the island nation, strangling its already crumbling economy and infrastructure.
