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Cuba Reports Fifth Death in Florida-Flagged Boat Shootout

Prosecutors have charged six surviving detainees with terrorism, placing them in pretrial detention.

Overview

  • The interior ministry said wounded detainee Roberto Álvarez Ávila died on March 4, bringing the death toll from the late-February confrontation to five.
  • Cuban authorities say soldiers approached a speedboat near Cayo Falcones on February 25–26 and came under fire, after which troops returned fire, killing four and detaining six.
  • Officials displayed what they described as 14 rifles, 11 pistols and nearly 13,000 rounds of ammunition recovered from the U.S.-registered vessel.
  • The ministry said U.S. agencies are cooperating by sharing evidence, and a Monroe County, Florida, incident report states the boat’s owner reported it stolen by an employee.
  • At least two people aboard were U.S. citizens, one of whom was killed, and news reports noted the episode could further strain relations between Washington and Havana.