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Cuba has announced that another man has died from injuries sustained during a shootout last month between Cuban soldiers and a Florida-flagged speedboat that authorities say was carrying heavily armed men attempting to infiltrate the island.
Getting into it: According to Cuba’s Interior Ministry, Roberto Álvarez Ávila died on March 4th from wounds he suffered during the confrontation, becoming the fifth person to die following the February shootout near Cuba’s north coast. Cuban officials said the remaining injured detainees continue to receive “specialized medical care according to their health status” while the investigation continues.
Authorities say the incident unfolded when Cuban Coast Guard forces intercepted a Florida-registered speedboat carrying 10 people that had approached within roughly one nautical mile of the island near Cayo Falcones. According to the government, the group described as Cuban nationals living in the United States opened fire when asked to identify themselves, prompting Cuban forces to return fire. Officials say four of the men were killed during the exchange and six others were wounded and taken into custody.
Cuban prosecutors have since filed terrorism charges against the six surviving suspects, who remain in pretrial detention. Officials allege the men were attempting to infiltrate the country to “unleash terrorism” and destabilize the government. The boat was carrying a large cache of weapons, including 14 rifles, 11 pistols, and more than 12,800 rounds of ammunition, which they argue supports claims that the group planned violent actions once inside the country.
While Cuba says the suspects are Cuban nationals based in the United States, the case has drawn attention in the US after officials confirmed that at least one US citizen was among those killed and another was detained. Family members of one of the men killed told The Associated Press that he had become deeply focused on the idea of overthrowing Cuba’s communist government, describing what they called an “obsessive” effort to free the island.
Cuban authorities say their investigation is ongoing and that additional individuals based in the United States could be linked to the alleged plot.
