Image: from Mario Nawfal X @MarioNawfal
By Open Chronicle Staff with Agencies
HAVANA — The death toll from a violent maritime confrontation between the Cuban Coast Guard and a Florida-registered speedboat has risen to five. On Thursday, the Cuban Interior Ministry confirmed that one of the six survivors, identified as Roberto Alvarez Avila, succumbed to his wounds on March 4 while in custody.
The Fatal Encounter
The incident occurred on February 25, 2026, when a Cuban patrol boat intercepted a 24-foot Proline speedboat roughly one nautical mile off the northern coast of Villa Clara Province. According to Cuban officials, the occupants of the Florida-flagged vessel opened fire first, wounding the commander of the patrol craft and triggering a deadly exchange of gunfire.
Initial reports following the skirmish confirmed four fatalities and six injuries among the ten people on board. With Avila’s passing, half of the boat’s occupants are now deceased.
Allegations of “Terrorist Infiltration”
The Cuban government has characterized the voyage as an attempted “terrorist infiltration” by Cuban nationals living in the United States. Authorities claim to have recovered a significant cache of military-grade equipment from the vessel, including:
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14 rifles (some with telescopic sights)
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11 pistols
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Nearly 13,000 rounds of ammunition
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Molotov cocktails, bulletproof vests, and camouflage uniforms.
Cuban prosecutors have already filed terrorism charges against the remaining survivors. Among those identified in custody are Amijail Sánchez González and Leordan Enrique Cruz Gómez, both of whom were reportedly on a Cuban terrorism watch list before the mission.
U.S. Response and Investigations
The White House has confirmed that at least one of the deceased was a U.S. citizen, identified by family as Michel Ortega Casanova, a truck driver who had lived in the U.S. for over 20 years.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio denied any U.S. government involvement, calling the shootout “highly unusual” and stating that Washington is launching its own independent inquiry. Meanwhile, the boat’s owner in Florida has alleged that the vessel was stolen by an employee, a claim currently being investigated by the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office.
A Region on Edge
The shootout comes at a moment of extreme tension. Since the U.S. military’s capture of Nicolás Maduro in January, the Trump administration has imposed a total energy blockade on Cuba, exacerbating the island’s worst electricity and fuel crisis in decades. The Kremlin has weighed in on the incident, with the Russian Foreign Ministry labeling the shootout an “aggressive provocation by the United States” designed to trigger a broader conflict.
As investigations continue, Cuban authorities stated they are cooperating with U.S. officials through “evidence sharing and other joint actions” to clarify the origins of the mission and its funding.