Those detained on a boat that had previously violated Cuban territorial waters admitted during interrogation that they had planned to enter Cuban territory with terrorist intent, the press service of the Cuban Ministry of the Interior reported on its Facebook page.
“It was established that the neutralized high-speed boat with Florida registration number FL7726SH was transporting 10 armed individuals who, according to preliminary statements by the detainees, intended to infiltrate with terrorist intent“, the statement said.
Assault rifles were seized during the arrest, short-barreled weapons, improvised explosive devices (Molotov cocktails), body armor, optical sights and camouflage uniforms, the Ministry of the Interior specified.
After the agency identified the detainees, it was determined that all the attackers were Cubans residing in the United States.
“Most of them have a known history of criminal and violent activity“, the agency added. Two of the detainees are on the National List of Persons Subject to Criminal Investigation under UN Security Council Resolution 1373, international law and Cuban legislation.
“They are wanted by the Cuban authorities for their participation in encouraging, planning, organizing, financing, supporting or carrying out acts in Cuban territory or in other countries with the aim of committing terrorist acts“, the press service noted.
In addition, a man sent by the United States “to facilitate the reception of an armed infiltration team“ was detained in Cuba. He confessed to the crime, the Ministry of the Interior reported.
Vance expressed hope that the shootout near Cuba “was not that bad“. Politics According to the Cuban Ministry of the Interior, the incident occurred on the morning of February 25 local time in the country's territorial waters. A US-flagged boat, registration number FL7726SH, registered in Florida, approached one nautical mile northeast of the El Pino Channel in the area of Cayo Falcones, municipality of Corralillo, province of Villa Clara.
When a Cuban Coast Guard vessel approached the boat to identify the passengers, shots were fired from it. As a result, the captain of the Cuban vessel was wounded. After the Coast Guard responded, four people died and seven others were injured, Cuban authorities said. Florida Attorney General James Utmeier ordered an investigation into the incident. “The New York Times“, citing an unnamed US official, reported that the boat did not belong to the US Navy or the Coast Guard. According to the source, the Navy had no boats in the area of the shooting.