Four people killed by Cuban coast guard were in a stolen boat, Cuba says

The boat involved in a fatal shooting with Cuba’s coast guard was reportedly stolen and had U.S. citizens aboard.

Four people were killed and six wounded in the incident Wednesday after the boat opened fire on Cuban soldiers, the island’s government said. 

Cuban officials said the boat’s occupants included U.S. citizens and several armed Cubans living in the U.S. who were attempting to infiltrate the island.

The boat entered Cuban waters and opened fire on the soldiers first, injuring one Cuban officer, the country said, adding that the majority of the 10 people identified on the boat “have a known history of criminal and violent activity.”

Some of those who were aboard the boat allegedly have criminal records, an unnamed official told Axios.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the U.S. is now gathering its own information to verify whether or not the victims were U.S. citizens or permanent residents. He also asked Cuba for access to the six injured people, Axios reported.

“The majority of the facts being publicly reported are those by the information provided by the Cubans. We will verify that independently as we gather more information, and we’ll be prepared to respond accordingly,” he said. “We’re going to have our own information on this. We’re going to figure out exactly what happened.”

One of the killed was a U.S. citizen, one injured is a U.S. citizen who is receiving care in Cuba and others are believed to be legal permanent residents of the U.S., Axios reported. At least one had a current U.S. K-1 visa, a non-immigrant visa that permits entering the U.S. to marry a U.S. citizen.

The owner of the 24-foot, Florida-registered speed boat reported that it was stolen in the Florida Keys by an employee, Axios reported. The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office said it is investigating the theft.

The boat’s owner told investigators that the man “has family in Cuba,” including “two young daughters who were still in Cuba.”

The shooting marks the latest tension between the U.S. and Cuba, threatening to strain the two countries’ already fraught relationship.

“Suffice it to say, it is highly unusual to see shootouts in open sea like that. It’s not something that happens every day. It’s something, frankly, that hasn’t happened with Cuba in a very long time,” Mr. Rubio said.

Cuba’s Interior Ministry justification for the shooting was “safeguarding its sovereignty and ensuring stability in the region.”