Cuban authorities reported that border guard forces engaged in a gunfight with a Florida-registered speedboat that entered Cuban territorial waters on the morning of February 25, 2026, killing four of the vessel's occupants and wounding six others. The incident occurred approximately one nautical mile off Cayo Falcones, near the El Pino channel, in Villa Clara province on Cuba's north coast. The vessel carried the U.S. registration number FL7726SH.

The Cuban Interior Ministry stated that a border-guard patrol vessel detected the speedboat operating close to Cayo Falcones and proceeded to identify it as a suspected illegal vessel. According to the official account, the boat's occupants opened fire on the patrol craft, prompting the border guards to return fire in self-defense. Cuban officials recovered the vessel and detained the surviving occupants.

The incident was also reported by CBS News , CNN , and BBC News .

BREAKING: Four dead, six wounded after Cuban border guards exchanged gunfire with Florida-registered speedboat FL7726SH near Cayo Falcones on the morning of February 25, 2026. Survivors are in Cuban custody. The U.S. State Department has confirmed receipt of the report and is seeking additional information.

Key Facts at a Glance

{keyFacts.map((row) => ( ))}

Detail	Information
{row.label}	{row.value}