Marco Rubio Says US Will 'Respond Appropriately' After Probe On Cuban Troops Killing 4 On Florida Speedboat, Calls Incident 'Highly Unusual'

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday the American Embassy in Havana is working to gain access to survivors from a Florida-registered speedboat that Cuban forces say exchanged gunfire with border guards in Cuban waters, leaving four people dead. Rubio said US officials want to determine whether any of those aboard were American citizens or lawful permanent residents.

Cuba Describes Gunfire Near Cayo Falcones

Cuba's Interior Ministry said the boat was about one nautical mile northeast of the El Pino canal near Cayo Falcones on Wednesday morning when five Cuban border guards approached to identify the vessel. The people on the speedboat opened fire, the ministry said, wounding the commander of the Cuban patrol craft, after which Cuban forces returned fire.

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Cuba said six people on the speedboat were injured and transferred for emergency care. The statement did not identify who was on the vessel, why it entered Cuban waters, or why it allegedly fired first.

Rubio Calls Shootout ‘Highly Unusual’

Rubio told reporters that no U.S. government personnel were involved. "It is highly unusual to see shootouts in open sea like that, it's not something that happens every day, it's something frankly that hasn't happened with Cuba in a very long time," he said at a news conference.

“We’re not going to base our conclusions on what they’ve told us, and I’m very confident that we will know the full story of what happened here, and we will know it soon. And then, you know, we’ll respond appropriately based on what that information tells,” Rubio added.

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Rubio also criticized Cuba's economic system, saying, "The reason why things are as bad as they are is because they have an economic model that does not exist," referencing the island's deepening crisis.

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Florida Rep. Carlos Gimenez (R-Fla.), whose district includes Key West, called for an investigation to determine whether any victims were US citizens or legal residents.

🚨I represent the southernmost congressional district in the continental United States.

We are only 90 miles away from[#Cuba].

What happens on the island has direct impact on my community & the people I represent.

Cuba needs freedom and needs it now!🇨🇺— Rep. Carlos A. Gimenez (@RepCarlos)

[February 25, 2026]

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Straits Security And Rising U.S.-Cuba Tensions

Cuba and the United States sit roughly 90 miles (145 kilometers) apart at their closest point, and the Florida Straits remain one of the region's most heavily monitored corridors after decades of migration and drug-trafficking attempts.

The episode comes as US-Cuba ties have deteriorated sharply. In late January, President Donald Trump declared a national emergency tied to what he called Cuban "threats" and signed an order threatening tariffs on countries supplying oil to Cuba, escalating pressure as the island faces fuel shortages and blackouts.

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