Four people killed in shootout with Cuban border guards

Havana (ANTARA) - Four people were shot dead and six others injured by Cuban border guards on Wednesday morning as they entered Cuban waters in a US-registered speedboat, the country’s interior ministry said.

In a statement, the ministry said that the speedboat, with US Florida registration number FL7726SH, was detected illegally sailing about one nautical mile east of the El Pino channel, north of Corralillo, a town in the central Cuban province of Villa Clara.

As a surface unit of the border guard approached to identify the boat, the passengers on board opened fire, injuring a Cuban commander, it added.

The ministry reaffirmed Cuba’s commitment to protecting its territorial waters, citing national defence as a pillar of sovereignty and regional stability.

US Senator Marco Rubio said the US was investigating the shooting, but was so far relying on the Cuban government to provide information about what happened.

“Once we have gathered more information, we will be ready to respond appropriately,” he said.

Asked if the incident involved US government personnel or was a US government operation, Rubio replied, “No.”

The shooting comes amid rising tensions between the US and Cuba. Last January, after US forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, Washington took control of Venezuelan oil exports and blocked shipments to Cuba. The US government also threatened to impose tariffs on goods from countries that supply oil to the island, deepening Cuba’s economic crisis.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) under the US Department of the Treasury said on Wednesday that it would allow the resale of Venezuelan-origin oil to the non-governmental sector in Cuba, although the supply is still expected to be far short of meeting the country’s needs.