BREAKING: Cuban coast guard shoots, kills 4, wounds 6 aboard US-registered speed boat during gunfight

Cuba’s Interior Ministry reported that four men aboard a US-registered speedboat were killed after opening fire on a Cuban coast guard vessel near Cayo Falcones on Wednesday morning. Six additional passengers were wounded and received medical care.

The ministry said the Florida-registered vessel, carrying at least 10 people, was detected in Cuban waters off the country’s northern coast in Villa Clara province. When five members of the Cuban border guard approached the speedboat to verify its identity, the crew allegedly opened fire, injuring the Cuban commander.

“As a consequence of the confrontation, as of the time of this report, four aggressors on the foreign vessel were killed and six injured,” the ministry said in a statement posted via the Cuban Embassy in Washington. The wounded were evacuated and provided medical assistance.

The Interior Ministry did not provide details on the identity of those aboard the boat or why it was in Cuban waters. Officials said an investigation has been launched to “clarify” the circumstances of the incident.

The speedboat was registered in Florida under the number FL7726SH. The ministry emphasized that the confrontation began after the vessel allegedly fired at Cuban personnel during an attempted identification.