U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed Wednesday night that an investigation was underway after the Cuban government opened fire on a speedboat they claimed was registered in Florida, killing four people and wounding multiple others.
Rubio, speaking from St. Kitts and Nevis during a diplomatic engagement with Caribbean leaders, stated that the US learned of the incident through direct Coast Guard-level contacts with Cuban authorities before the Cuban government’s public announcement.
“We’re going to find out exactly what happened, who was involved, and we’ll make a determination on the basis of what we find out,” the secretary told reporters.
The Cuban government confirmed the incident earlier in the day and claimed personnel with the nation’s coast guard were forced to open fire after occupants of the boat opened fire on them first. Four people aboard the boat — which the Cuban government said was registered in Florida — were killed in the incident, according to the statement.
Six additional occupants of the vessel were injured in the attack, while at least one Cuban service member was also wounded.
“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 government announced in its statement.
The speedboat carried registration number FL7726SH, confirming its Florida documentation. The location near Cayo Falcones placed the encounter along Cuba’s central northern coastline in Villa Clara province.
Cuban officials described the vessel’s presence as unauthorized, leading to the interception for identification purposes.
Note from the Ministry of the Interior:
— Cuban Embassy in US (@EmbaCubaUS) February 25, 2026
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
Rubio confirmed that the State Department was working to verify details about the event, including whether the individuals aboard the vessel were U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents. “It is highly unusual to see shootouts on the open sea like that. It’s not something that happens everyday,” he said, adding that he would not speculate on the incident at this time.
The secretary further noted that the facts being reported were coming from the Cuban regime and would need to be independently verified. “We obviously want to have access to these people,” Rubio said of the victims.
The boat has been identified through Florida state records as a 24-foot Pro-Line motorboat manufactured in 1981. Such vessels typically have a capacity of eight to ten people.
U.S. officials confirmed the vessel was civilian in nature and not part of any US government or military operation, according to a report from the New York Times.
No confirmed information has been released regarding the nationalities of those killed or injured, the purpose of the vessel’s presence in Cuban waters, or any cargo or passengers it may have carried as of this report.
