Headline Roundup • February 26th, 2026
Cuba Kills 4 Cubans in US-Flagged Boat Full of Weapons
Summary from the AllSides News Team
On Wednesday, Cuba killed four Cubans near its coast in a US-flagged speedboat full of weapons.
The Details: Four Cubans were killed and six others were wounded after a shooting by Cuba's Coast Guard of a US-flagged boat that was carrying weapons. The boat, which was reportedly stolen from a Miami-based owner, was detected within Cuban territorial waters near Cayo Falcones in the province of Villa Clara. Cuba's Interior Ministry claimed that the boat opened fire on Cuba's border patrol after security attempted to identify the passengers. The Department of Homeland Security and Coast Guard are investigating the shooting, along with the Florida Office of Statewide Prosecution.
Key Quotes: Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is Cuban American, said, "Suffice it to say, it is highly unusual to see shootouts in open sea like that. It's not something that happens every day. It's something, frankly, that hasn't happened with Cuba in a very long time... We're going to find out exactly what happened here, and then we'll respond accordingly." Last month, on January 11, President Donald Trump posted the following on Truth Social: "THERE WILL BE NO MORE OIL OR MONEY GOING TO CUBA - ZERO! I strongly suggest they make a deal, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE."
For Context: Rubio has reportedly been holding secret talks with the grandson of Cuba's aging de facto leader Raul Castro, as the Trump administration continues to publicly discuss regime change in Cuba. The confrontation on Wednesday, which Cuban authorities called an attempted terrorist attack, heightens tensions with the US.
How the Media Covered It: Fox News (Right bias) reported that Cuba's Interior Ministry is claiming that those on board the boat were "criminal Cubans" who were living in the US. Media sources across the political spectrum reported that the ministry was also claiming that the boat had opened fire on Cuba's border patrol.
Written by the AllSides staff (of humans). Learn more. Suggest an improvement to this summary.
Featured Coverage of this Story
Ramon Espinosa/AP Photo
Cuban border troops killed four people and wounded six during a confrontation Wednesday that Cuban authorities called an attempted terrorist attack, raising tensions with the U.S. during a politically fraught moment.
The island nation's Ministry of the Interior said the speedboat's passengers opened fire on troops after they approached the vessel in Cuban territorial waters.
A commander on the Cuban vessel was also wounded in the confrontation and the injured people from the speedboat were taken for medical treatment, the ministry said in a statement
In a statement later Wednesday,...
Cuba's coast guard shot dead four people and wounded six others aboard a U.S.-registered speedboat in an exchange of gunfire off the communist island's coast, the Interior Ministry said Wednesday.
In a statement, the ministry said a Cuban patrol vessel had approached the Florida-registered boat to identify those on board when shots were fired from the boat, wounding the captain of the Cuban craft.
According to Havana's statement, the boat was detected within Cuban territorial waters Wednesday morning on the northeast side of the El Pino channel near Cayo Falcones...
Cuba has accused 10 people aboard a US-registered speedboat it intercepted off its coast on Wednesday of planning "an infiltration with terrorist aims".
Border guards shot dead four people and injured the other six on the boat, the Cuban interior ministry said, alleging that those aboard the Florida-registered vessel had fired first.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington was investigating the "highly unusual" incident.
The deadly shooting comes at a time of increased tension between the two countries, less than two months after US forces seized Cuba's close...
.png)
