US launches probe after Cuba says its border guard exchanged fire with Florida-registered boat

WASHINGTON

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday that US authorities are investigating an incident off the coast of Cuba involving a Florida-registered speedboat, stressing that Washington will independently verify details provided by Havana.

Rubio, who was attending a summit of Caribbean leaders in Saint Kitts and Nevis, told reporters that the US government was alerted to the incident by Cuban authorities earlier in the day and immediately began reviewing the circumstances.

“As it stands now, the Department of Homeland Security, the Coast Guard and others are involved,” he said, adding that much of the information available so far had come from Cuban officials.

He said the US Embassy in Havana is working to determine whether those aboard the vessel were US citizens or permanent residents and to seek access to the individuals involved.

“According to the Cuban regime, the boat was registered in Florida. We’re tracking that down,” Rubio said, adding that US authorities expect to obtain more details soon.

Rubio said Washington would not rely solely on Cuba’s account of events.

“We will verify that independently, and as we gather more information, then we’ll be prepared to respond accordingly,” he said, declining to speculate on what had occurred.

Earlier, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier said his office had launched an investigation into the maritime incident.

“I’ve directed the Office of Statewide Prosecution to work with our federal, state, and law enforcement partners to begin an investigation,” Uthmeier said in a post on the US social media company X’s platform.

"The Cuban government cannot be trusted, and we will do everything in our power to hold these communists accountable," he said.

Cuban authorities said earlier that its border forces exchanged fire with a Florida-registered speedboat that entered Cuban territorial waters, killing four people aboard the vessel and wounding six others. One Cuban officer was also injured, according to Cuba’s Interior Ministry.

The incident comes amid heightened tensions between Washington and Havana as the administration of President Donald Trump has tightened economic pressure on Cuba and expanded US maritime operations in the Caribbean, including strikes on vessels Washington says are involved in drug trafficking.