The announcement was made hours after Cuba said that the border guard force had killed 4 people and injured 6 others on a speedboat registered in Florida, USA, which entered Cuban waters and opened fire on a border guard, injuring a Cuban officer.
On the evening of February 25, local time, the Cuban government added that most of the 10 people on the speedboat registered in the US "have criminal records for criminal and violent activities".
The Cuban government identified the 2 passengers on board as Amijail Sánchez González and Leordan Enrique Cruz Gómez - who are wanted by the Cuban authorities "for being involved in promoting, planning, organizing, financing, supporting or carrying out actions carried out on national territory or in other countries, related to terrorist acts".
The Cuban government confirmed that it had also arrested Duniel Hernández Santos, who "was sent from the US to ensure the reception of armed infiltration, who has now confessed his actions".
The Cuban government collected detailed information about the passengers on the speedboat from the suspects arrested after the offshore shooting.
Cuban authorities identified 7 of the 10 people on the speedboat, including Conrado Galindo Sariol, José Manuel Rodríguez Castelló, Cristian Ernesto Acosta Guevara and Roberto Azcorra Consuegra.
One of the 4 deaths was Michel Ortega Casanova. The other three have not yet been identified.
The investigation process is still ongoing until the truth is fully clarified" - the Cuban Foreign Ministry stated in a statement.
The shooting occurred about 1.6km northeast of Cayo Falcones, off the coast of northern Cuba.
The shooting increased tensions between the US and Cuba. After the US arrested Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in early January 2026, President Donald Trump and senior government officials strengthened blockade measures against Cuba, a country largely dependent on Venezuela's oil resources.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio shared with the press that he was informed about the incident and that the US is currently collecting private information to determine whether the victims are US citizens or permanent residents.
Answering reporters at Basseterre Airport, St. Kitts, where he attended the regional summit with Caribbean leaders, US President Donald Trump's top diplomat declined to speculate about what happened, saying that there may be "much different possibilities" and the US will not just rely on the information provided by the Cuban government.
It can be said that shooting at sea like that is extremely unusual. That is not something that happens every day. Frankly speaking, that is something that has not happened to Cuba for a very long time" - Mr. Rubio noted.
He said that both the Department of Homeland Security and the US Coast Guard are investigating the incident.
