Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday evening that U.S. officials have opened an investigation after Cuban authorities fired on a speedboat they assert was registered in Florida, resulting in four dead and several wounded.
He spoke from St. Kitts and Nevis while meeting with Caribbean leaders when he confirmed the probe.
The United States learned of the incident through Coast Guard–level contacts with Cuban authorities before Cuba made a public announcement, Rubio said.
“We’re going to find out exactly what happened, who was involved, and we’ll make a determination on the basis of what we find out,” the secretary told reporters.
Cuban authorities said their coast guard opened fire after occupants of the vessel allegedly fired first during an interception, according to the Cuban statement released earlier in the day.
The Cuban statement said four people aboard the boat — which it described as registered in Florida — were killed in the encounter.
Six additional occupants were reported wounded and at least one Cuban service member was also injured.
“In the face of current challenges, Cuba reaffirms its determination to protect its territorial waters, based on the principle that national defense is a fundamental pillar of the Cuban State in safeguarding its sovereignty and ensuring stability in the region,” the Cuban government announced.
The speedboat carried registration number FL7726SH and the engagement occurred near Cayo Falcones along Cuba’s central northern coastline in Villa Clara province.
Cuban officials described the vessel’s presence as unauthorized and said it was intercepted for identification purposes.
Note from the Ministry of the Interior:
On the morning of February 25, 2026, a violating speedboat was detected within Cuban territorial waters. The vessel, registered in Florida, United States, with registration number FL7726SH, approached up to 1 nautical mile northeast of the… pic.twitter.com/AEmwtAZ4lO
— Cuban Embassy in US (@EmbaCubaUS) February 25, 2026
Rubio said the State Department was working to verify details, including whether those aboard the vessel were U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents.
“It is highly unusual to see shootouts on the open sea like that,” he said.
He added he would not speculate on the incident at this time.
Rubio emphasized that the facts reported so far were coming from the Cuban regime and would require independent verification.
“We obviously want to have access to these people,” Rubio said of the victims.
Florida state records identify the boat as a 24-foot Pro-Line motorboat manufactured in 1981, which typically carries eight to ten people.
U.S. officials also confirmed the vessel was civilian in nature and not part of any U.S. government or military operation, according to a report from the New York Times.
No confirmed information has been released about the nationalities of those killed or injured, the vessel’s purpose in Cuban waters, or whether it carried cargo or additional passengers as of this report.
