FBI Team in Cuba Probes Deadly Shooting of U.S.-Flagged Speedboat
An FBI technical team has arrived in Cuba to conduct what U.S. officials describe as a thorough, independent investigation into the Feb. 25 shooting of a U.S.-flagged speedboat in waters north of the island that left five men dead and five wounded. Cuban authorities say their Border Patrol opened fire only after the 10 men aboard the boat, allegedly Cuban expatriates based in the U.S. carrying military equipment, fired first in an attempted infiltration they label a terrorist attack. The survivors now face terrorism charges in Cuba that could carry life sentences, and Cuban officials have displayed seized gear including high-caliber rifles, pistols, uniforms, helmets, rations, a satellite communications unit and roughly 12,000 rounds of ammunition. Washington, through Secretary of State Marco Rubio, has disavowed any U.S. government role in the operation and says it is using the FBI deployment to verify Havana’s account against its own intelligence and Coast Guard contacts. The unusual on-island FBI presence underscores both the gravity of a fatal incident involving a U.S.-flagged vessel and the fragile state of U.S.–Cuba relations, where allegations of exile-backed violence and state overreach have long been politically charged on both sides of the Florida Straits.
📌 Key Facts
- FBI agents arrived in Cuba on Tuesday before April 2, 2026 to investigate a Feb. 25 shooting involving a U.S.-flagged speedboat.
- Five men on the boat were killed and five wounded after an exchange of fire with the Cuban Border Patrol; one Cuban crew member was also injured.
- Cuba alleges the 10 men aboard were U.S.-based Cuban expatriates attempting a terrorist infiltration with military equipment including high-caliber rifles, a satellite communications unit and at least 12,000 rounds of ammunition, while the U.S. government denies any involvement and is seeking to independently verify Cuba’s claims.
📊 Relevant Data
The Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961 was a major CIA-backed attempt by Cuban exiles to infiltrate and overthrow the Cuban government, involving around 1,400 expatriates, and it failed within days.
The Bay of Pigs Invasion and its Aftermath, April 1961–October 1962 — Office of the Historian, U.S. Department of State
As of 2021, there were approximately 2.4 million people of Cuban origin living in the United States, accounting for 4% of the U.S. Hispanic population.
Facts on Hispanics of Cuban origin in the United States, 2021 — Pew Research Center
In 2020, 58% of registered Cuban American voters identified with or leaned toward the Republican Party, compared to 38% who identified with or leaned toward the Democratic Party, showing a disparity in political affiliation compared to other Hispanic groups, where Democrats often hold a majority.
Most Cuban American voters identify as Republican in 2020 — Pew Research Center
Between fiscal years 2021 and 2023, over 850,000 Cubans migrated to the United States, representing nearly 8% of Cuba's population, driven by economic crises and humanitarian conditions.
2021–2023 Cuban migration crisis — Wikipedia
The Cuban Adjustment Act of 1966 has been instrumental in facilitating Cuban immigration to the U.S., allowing Cubans who reach U.S. soil to apply for permanent residency after one year, a policy that has contributed to waves of migration.
Cuban Immigrants in the United States — Migration Policy Institute
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