Havana, 6 March: Cuban prosecutors have formally charged six people with terrorism-related offences following a deadly shootout at sea involving a Florida-registered speedboat that approached the island’s territorial waters last week.
Authorities say the vessel, allegedly carrying Cuban exiles from the United States, entered Cuban waters and moved to within one nautical mile of the coast, triggering a confrontation with Cuba’s coast guard. A gunbattle broke out during the encounter, leaving four people dead and six others wounded.
According to Cuba’s Interior Ministry, the group arrived heavily armed, carrying nearly 13,000 rounds of ammunition along with 13 rifles and 11 pistols. Officials said the weapons were seized after the firefight and later displayed during a special broadcast on state television.
“The men came from the United States with the intent to sow chaos and attack military units on the island,” the Interior Ministry said.
The six surviving suspects were detained and placed in provisional pretrial custody, prosecutors said. Cuban authorities also claimed that at least two of those arrested had previously appeared on the country’s list of suspected terrorists.
Prosecutor Edward Robert Campbell told state television that the defendants face multiple charges linked to terrorist acts. If convicted, they could receive prison sentences ranging from 10 to 15 years for lesser offences, while more serious charges could result in 20 to 30 years in prison or even the death penalty, he said.
The incident comes at a time of renewed tensions between Washington and Havana, with the United States having halted oil shipments to Cuba while pressing for political and economic reforms on the communist-ruled island.
U.S. officials have distanced themselves from the episode. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the incident “was not a US operation and no US government personnel were involved.”
Several American lawmakers have expressed skepticism about Cuba’s account of the events and have called for an independent investigation into the shootout.
Armed incursions from South Florida into Cuba were more common in the years following the 1959 Cuban Revolution, when exile groups occasionally attempted to challenge the government in Havana.
