Florida officials are demanding an “immediate investigation” into Cuban border patrol officers’ killing of four people on a boat from the United States.
The Cuban Embassy in the U.S. claimed Wednesday that its border patrol was shot at by people in a U.S.-registered vessel approximately 1 nautical mile from the island, reporting that “four aggressors on the foreign vessel were killed and six were injured.”
“In the face of current challenges, Cuba reaffirms its determination to protect its territorial waters, based on the principle that national defense is a fundamental pillar of the Cuban State in safeguarding its sovereignty and ensuring stability in the region,” the embassy said in a statement.
“Investigations by the competent authorities continue in order to fully clarify the events,” it added.
Rep. Carlos Gimenez (R-FL) was among the first U.S. officials to react to the news, issuing a statement via social media.
“I am calling for an immediate investigation into this massacre,” Gimenez said. “United States authorities must determine whether any of the victims were U.S. citizens or legal residents and establish exactly what occurred. The regime in Cuba must be relegated to the dustbin of history for its countless crimes against humanity.”
The Florida congressman’s office is reportedly requesting further details from the State Department and U.S. military authorities.
Gimenez’s demands were immediately co-signed by Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL), who added that the “Communist Cuban regime must be held accountable!”
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced immediately after the statement that has “directed the Office of Statewide Prosecution to work with our federal, state, and law enforcement partners to begin an investigation.”
“The Cuban government cannot be trusted, and we will do everything in our power to hold these communists accountable,” Uthmeier wrote.
The incident could not come at a worse time for Cuba, which is suffering under crippling economic penalties imposed by President Donald Trump, who accused the regime of politically and materially supporting hostile actors such as Hamas and Russia.
INSIDE THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S EFFORTS TO PRESSURE CUBA’S COMMUNIST REGIME OUT
The White House has imposed sweeping sanctions that not only uphold fuel embargoes but also implement tariffs against foreign governments supplying oil to the island.
The fuel shortage in Cuba has become dire, leading to blackouts across the country, including in the capital, Havana, and affecting food prices and transportation. It was reported earlier this week that trash has begun to pile up in Havana as trash trucks lack fuel to operate.
