Cuba blames United States for enabling terrorist plot after deadly speedboat raid
Cuban authorities say the United States allowed a terrorist infiltration attempt from Florida to succeed, resulting in a sea gunfight that left five dead and several injured.
Cuban law enforcement reported that a February speedboat incursion from the Florida Keys, involving ten exiles equipped with nearly 13,000 rounds of ammunition, rifles, handguns, Molotov cocktails and Starlink gear, ended in a gun battle at sea that killed five participants. The remaining infiltrators, some wounded, have been arrested and face terrorism charges. Cuban prosecutors allege that U.S.-based actors provided the weapons, arranged transport and facilitated training, citing confessions that point to a farm owned by Maritza Lugo Fernandez, leader of the Florida-based Partido Democrático 30 de Noviembre.
Lugo Fernandez rejects the accusations, calling them fabricated. The investigation, conducted jointly by Cuban authorities and the FBI, also uncovered plans for simultaneous attacks on police and border guards in Matanzas province, intended to spark an uprising and provoke U.S. military intervention. The accusations arise amid heightened U.S. pressure on Cuba, including a fuel blockade and reinforced sanctions.
Why it matters
The claim links U.S. territory to a terrorist plot against Cuba, raising diplomatic tensions and security concerns.
In this story
Related stories
4 in this thread