"The vessel approached within one nautical mile off the coast of Villa Clara early Wednesday, Cuba's Interior Ministry said in a statement. When security forces approached to identify the passengers, the occupants starting shooting at border patrol, injuring the commander of the military vessel. Six others on the speedboat were wounded and are being provided with medical care."
"The New York Times cited a US official saying that no US Naval or Coast Guard boat was involved, but that it was a US civilian vessel attempting to get relatives out of Cuba. The US State Department, the Pentagon, US Southern Command and the US Coast Guard didn't immediately respond to requests for comment."
"Since removing Nicolas Maduro from power in Venezuela in early January, Donald Trump's administration has turned its attention to the communist-run island as it seeks to consolidate its influence in Latin America. The US has effectively imposed a naval blockade on Cuba, dramatically reduced its access to fuel."
Cuban security forces killed four occupants of a US-flagged speedboat that approached within one nautical mile of Villa Clara's coast and opened fire on border patrol, injuring a military commander. Six others aboard were wounded and received medical care. US officials confirmed the vessel was a civilian boat attempting to extract relatives from Cuba, though the State Department and Pentagon did not immediately comment. Florida Congressman Carlos Gimenez called the incident a massacre and demanded investigation into whether victims were US citizens. The confrontation occurs amid Trump administration pressure on Cuba, including a naval blockade, fuel restrictions, and efforts to undermine the regime following Venezuela's political transition.
#us-cuba-relations #naval-incident #trump-administration-policy #latin-american-geopolitics #border-security
Read at www.mercurynews.com
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