A shootout between Cuban coastguards and gunmen aboard an allegedly stolen boat in Florida left four dead this week.
The U.S. has failed to contain militants on American soil seeking to topple the Cuban government, officials in Havana said, commenting on this week’s deadly shootout involving a stolen boat in Florida.
According to Cuban accounts, a patrol boat intercepted a boat carrying armed men, who opened fire on the coast guard, prompting it to turn back. Four people were killed and six were injured. US press reports suggest the group may have been part of a Florida-based anti-Castro insurgency, possibly infiltrated by Cuban security forces and ambushed en route to the island.
“This is not an isolated incident. Cuba has been the victim of attacks and countless terrorist acts for more than 60 years, many of which have been organized, financed and carried out from the territory of the United States.” Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernandez de Cossio said in a statement Thursday.
He said the two criminals are on the list of suspected terrorists that Cuba shared with the US in 2023 and 2025. “The US has enjoyed impunity within the region.” The official admitted that the initial account incorrectly included the name of a person who was not on the boat.
The error fueled speculation that Cuban officials had prior knowledge of the group’s plans, the New York Times reported.
The man in question, Roberto Azcora Consugra, a 31-year-old activist who fled Cuba in 2017, was interviewed in Miami after the incident. He is determined to overthrow the Cuban government using extreme means “Picket Signs and Slogans” The NYT said. He called those listed in Havana “Men of courage.”
The boat was stolen in the Florida Keys, Axios reported, citing a sheriff’s report. The suspect, Hector Cruz Correa, was killed by Cuban officials, he said. The owner told the deputy who had the man “The two daughters who were still in Cuba.”
US President Donald Trump’s administration recently intensified an economic embargo on Cuba, exacerbating the energy shortage. Trump insists Havana must make a deal or face continued pressure. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the administration would welcome the fall of the Cuban government but would not necessarily act to bring it about.
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