The Cuban Ministry of Interior issued a statement saying that passengers on the speedboat fired at a border guard ship when the ship approached.
6 more people were injured in the incident near an island on the northern coast of Cuba.
The identities of those on board or the purpose of the ship's operations in the area are still unclear. The Cuban government said that an investigation has been conducted to clarify the incident.
In a statement posted on social network X, the Cuban Ministry of Interior informed that the speedboat in the case registered in Florida, USA, with registration number FL7726SH, was discovered near Cayo Falcones, in Villa Clara province in central Cuba on the morning of February 25, local time.
When a Cuban ship carrying 5 members of the Ministry of Interior's border guard force approached the speedboat to verify their identities, "the crew of the violating speedboat fired" and injured the Cuban commander.
Due to the consequences of the confrontation, as of this report, 4 attackers on the foreign boat have been killed and 6 people injured" - the statement stated.
The injured have been evacuated and received medical care.
The incident occurred amid increasing tensions between the US and Cuba. The Caribbean island nation is facing an increasingly serious oil crisis as the US blocks oil shipments from Venezuela to Cuba.
Cuba's statement on the incident also mentioned the current tension, emphasizing "before the current challenges, Cuba reaffirms its determination to protect its territorial waters" and protect its sovereignty.
On February 25, the US Treasury Department said it would ease some small transactions in the private sector, including oil sales, to "support Cuban people for commercial and humanitarian purposes".
This fatal incident also occurred when US Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited Saint Kitts and Nevis to meet with Caribbean leaders in the context of President Donald Trump's administration promoting increased pressure on the Cuban government, as well as other regional issues.
The incident also occurred a day after Cuban-American groups in Miami, USA commemorated the 30th anniversary of the Brothers to the Rescue plane crash, which killed 4 people.
