Cuban border guards killed four people and wounded six others in a shootout with the crew of a U.S.-registered speedboat near Cayo Falcones in Villa Clara province on Wednesday. 

Authorities said the vessel had entered Cuban territorial waters and that the crew opened fire during an identification attempt, prompting the guards to return fire. The confrontation also left the commander of the Cuban vessel wounded.

The Cuban government has not yet disclosed the nationalities of those killed or injured but said they were evacuated and received medical assistance. Authorities are now investigating the incident. 

Note from the Ministry of the Interior:

On the morning of February 25, 2026, a violating speedboat was detected within Cuban territorial waters. The vessel, registered in Florida, United States, with registration number FL7726SH, approached up to 1 nautical mile northeast of the… pic.twitter.com/AEmwtAZ4lO

— Cuban Embassy in US (@EmbaCubaUS) February 25, 2026

“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,” the Cuban embassy in the U.S. said in a social media post.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington is seeking its own account of the shooting. “We’re not going to base our conclusions on what they’ve [Cuba] told us, and I’m very, very confident that we will know the full story of what happened here,” Rubio said.

Florida attorney general James Uthmeier said he has ordered an investigation into the incident. “The Cuban government cannot be trusted, and we will do everything in our power to hold these communists accountable,” said Uthmeier.

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. https://t.co/IYiWTbtV7o

— Attorney General James Uthmeier (@AGJamesUthmeier) February 25, 2026

The incident comes weeks after President Donald Trump signed an executive order authorizing tariffs on goods from countries that sell or supply oil to Cuba, citing its close ties to Iran, Russia, and China. 

Until recently, Russia, along with Mexico and Venezuela, was among Cuba’s main oil suppliers. Analysts said the ongoing fuel blockade is set to intensify tensions on the island. Cuba’s electricity grid depends largely on fossil fuels, yet the country produces only about 40 percent of its own fuel needs, making it highly reliant on imports to keep its energy systems running.

Trump last week said the U.S and Cuba are talking. 

“Cuba is right now a failed nation, and they don’t even have jet fuel to get for airplanes to take off. They’re clogging up their runway,” Trump said. “We’re talking to Cuba right now, and Marco Rubio is talking to Cuba right now, and they should absolutely make a deal, because it’s really a humanitarian threat,” Trump said.