Cuba reports four killed in firefight with Florida-registered speedboat near Villa Clara’s Cayo Falcones area

What Cuban authorities reported

Cuban authorities said a maritime confrontation on Wednesday, February 25, 2026, left four people dead and six others injured aboard a speedboat registered in Florida. The incident was reported as occurring inside Cuban territorial waters off the island’s north-central coast, near Cayo Falcones in Villa Clara province, in the Corralillo municipality area.

Officials said a Border Guard unit moved to identify the vessel after it was detected roughly one nautical mile northeast of the El Pino channel. Cuban authorities stated that gunfire came from the speedboat during the encounter, injuring the commander of the Cuban patrol craft. Cuban forces then returned fire, resulting in four fatalities on the speedboat and injuries to six others, who were evacuated for medical care.

Key details confirmed so far

• Date: February 25, 2026.

• Location described by officials: About one nautical mile northeast of the El Pino channel near Cayo Falcones, Villa Clara province (north coast of Cuba).

• Casualties reported by Cuba: Four people killed and six injured on the Florida-registered vessel; one Cuban officer injured.

• Vessel identification released: A Florida registration number was publicly provided by Cuban authorities.

Open questions for U.S. and Florida authorities

As of February 26, 2026, it remained unclear whether any U.S. citizens were among the dead or injured. Florida boat registration records are not broadly accessible to the public, limiting immediate independent confirmation of ownership and operator history based on the registration number alone.

U.S. officials said they were seeking to independently verify the circumstances of the incident through established government channels. The U.S. government’s immediate focus, as publicly described, is determining who was aboard the vessel and obtaining a reliable account of how the exchange of fire began.

How the incident fits into regional maritime patterns

The Florida Straits and Cuba’s northern coastline have long been corridors for high-risk maritime activity, including migrant smuggling and other illicit traffic. Cuban authorities have previously reported encounters involving fast boats approaching or entering Cuban waters, particularly along the north coast, where vessels can move quickly between Florida and Cuba.

Authorities in both countries are expected to focus on identity confirmation, chain-of-custody for the vessel, and forensic reconstruction of the exchange of fire.

What happens next

Cuban authorities said an investigation is underway to clarify the full sequence of events. On the U.S. side, federal and state-level inquiries are expected to center on the vessel’s registration trail, any potential violations of U.S. law connected to outbound maritime operations, and consular access issues if any U.S. nationals are confirmed among those involved.