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Cuba has filed terrorism charges against six suspects after a Florida-flagged speedboat allegedly opened fire on soldiers in waters off the island’s north coast.
The suspects of Cuban origin remain in pretrial detention, the Prosecutor’s Office said while insisting it will ensure “due process” as it continues to act “in defense of our people and the country’s institutions.”
The government has claimed 10 heavily armed Cubans from the U.S. who were on board the boat opened fire as they tried to infiltrate the island to commit acts of terrorism.
The vessel came within a nautical mile of the El Pino channel on Falcones Cay in Villa Clara province on the north coast of Cuba, about 120 miles east of Havana, when it was approached by a vessel carrying five Border Guard Troops, according to the official account.
The patrol unit asked the occupants to identify themselves and they allegedly opened fire, wounding the commander of the Cuban vessel.
Cuban soldiers returned fire, killing four suspects.
The boat used by the suspects was registered in the Sunshine State under the number FL7726SH.
It is a 24ft Pro-Line powerboat manufactured in 1981, typically used for fishing, and is owned by an individual residing in Miami Lakes, Florida, CNN reported.
The Cuban government unveiled items said to have been found on the boat, including a dozen high-powered weapons, more than 12,800 pieces of ammunition and 11 pistols.
It alleged that “assault rifles, handguns, improvised explosive devices (Molotov cocktails), bulletproof vests, telescopic sights, and camouflage uniforms were seized.”
Two of the wounded – Amijail Sanchez Gonzalez and Leordan Enrique Cruz Gomez – were previously wanted by Cuba for terrorism offenses, the country said.
Chief prosecutor Edward Robert Campbell told The Associated Press that terrorism charges carry a possible sentence of up to 30 years in prison or even the death penalty, although Cuba has maintained a moratorium on the latter since 2003.
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