A U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation technical team reached Cuba this week to undertake an independent investigation into a deadly maritime exchange, the U.S. Embassy in Havana said on Wednesday. The visit follows an incident on February 25 in which Cuban authorities say 10 Cuban nationals attempted to land on the island by speedboat and were involved in a gunbattle with border patrol officers.
Cuban officials reported that the group that approached the island under cover of night was armed with nearly 13,000 rounds of ammunition, 13 rifles and 11 pistols. The ensuing clash left five of the entrants dead. Those among the group who survived but were wounded are being held by Cuban authorities and are receiving medical attention, Cuba said.
The embassy described the FBI trip as part of a "thorough and independent investigation" into the episode. An embassy official told Reuters that the United States will independently verify Havana's account. The official added: "Consistent with U.S. policy, we do not make decisions in the United States on the basis of what Cuban authorities are saying," the official said. "We will independently verify the facts and make decisions based solely on U.S. interest, U.S. law, and the protection U.S. citizens."
Cuba released a description of the events on the morning of February 25. According to Havana, a Cuban patrol comprising five border guard members aboard a nine-meter boat sighted the incoming vessel roughly one nautical mile off a remote channel on the island's northern coast. That location is about 100 miles (160 km) from Marathon, Florida.
Cuban authorities said the intruding speedboat opened fire from a distance of 185 meters, wounding the patrol captain in the abdomen. Despite bleeding heavily, the captain remained at the helm and steered toward the approaching boat, which led to a closer-range firefight at about 20 meters, Cuba said.
Havana has identified the attackers as Cuban exiles, asserting that some were previously identified as accused terrorists who arrived from the United States with the intent to sow chaos and to attack military units. The Cuban government has presented that characterization as part of its narrative surrounding the operation and the use of force that followed.
In Washington, Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated the speedboat incursion was not a U.S. operation and that no U.S. government personnel were involved. The U.S. Embassy's stated aim in sending the FBI technical team is to establish an independent record of the facts and to inform U.S. decision-making based on verified information and applicable law.
The diplomatic backdrop to the episode is tense, the embassy statement said, pointing to developments earlier in the year. It noted that tensions between the two governments have risen since January, when the U.S. imposed what it described as a virtual oil blockade on the island after the capture and ouster of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on January 3 - an action Havana says has altered the broader geopolitical environment.
For now, the wounded remain in Cuban custody and are being treated for their injuries, while Cuban and U.S. authorities proceed with their respective approaches to documenting and assessing the February 25 clash. The FBI's technical team is expected to carry out its own fact-finding work in Havana as part of the embassy-led effort to independently review what happened at sea.