Cuban government says boat full of armed men fired on border guards, killing 4

The Cuban government on Wednesday said four people were killed and six were wounded after a Florida-registered speedboat opened fire on Cuban border forces near the island’s coast.

Cuban authorities said the encounter happened as a 24-foot boat from Florida entered Cuban waters with 10 armed occupants believed to be Cuban nationals living in the United States.

The Interior Ministry said the boat’s passengers fired on Cuban troops first, injuring a commander, before border guards returned fire and killed four people.

Six others were wounded and taken into custody, the statement said.

Officials also said an eleventh person who was to meet the group inside Cuba was detained.

The ministry claimed that many on the boat had criminal records and accused them of planning hostile actions against the Cuban government.

Weapons and tactical gear were reportedly found on the vessel.

The US government, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, said US agencies are investigating the incident independently and stressed that no US personnel were involved, adding that officials want to verify the facts surrounding the deadly encounter.