A routine patrol in the Florida Straits turned into a international crisis on Wednesday when Cuban Border Guard Troops opened fire on a speedboat (registration FL7726SH) one nautical mile off Cayo Falcones. The Cuban Interior Ministry reported that the vessel, carrying ten individuals, refused to identify itself and initiated a firefight that wounded a Cuban commander. In the resulting exchange, four people—including Michel Ortega Casanova—were killed, and six others were wounded and detained.

Havana has moved quickly to frame the incident as a foiled national security threat. In a detailed statement, the ministry alleged the speedboat was carrying assault rifles, Molotov cocktails, and military fatigues, claiming the occupants were Cuban exiles residing in Florida who intended to "carry out terrorist purposes" on the island. A seventh person, Duniel Hernández Santos, was arrested on land and has reportedly "confessed" to being the group's reception contact.

The U.S. government, however, is far from convinced. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking from a summit in Saint Kitts, confirmed that the U.S. is launching its own investigation through the embassy in Havana. "It is highly unusual to see shootouts in open sea like that," Rubio stated, adding that the U.S. will not rely solely on Havana's narrative. Florida Representative Carlos Gimenez went further, labeling the event a "massacre" and an "execution." This incident is deeply entangled in broader geopolitics; Cuba is currently reeling from a U.S.-led "oil siege" following the fall of the Maduro regime in Venezuela. With Russia recently providing fuel aid to Havana, this naval clash represents a dangerous spark in a highly combustible region.

Sources: CBS News, BBC News, PBS NewsHour