FBI agents are in Havana to investigate a firearms incident that occurred at the end of February between the Cuban Coast Guard and a boat registered in Florida.
The news was confirmed by an official from the United States Embassy in Havana, who spoke anonymously to Agence France-Presse. According to the official, the FBI team arrived on Tuesday in Cuba as part of an independent investigation into the incident.
The embassy spokesperson did not provide further details regarding the agents’ presence on the island, amid ongoing tensions between the US and Cuban governments.
According to Cuban authorities, on February 25, a Coast Guard vessel approached a boat for inspection, but those on board opened fire in response.
Cuban authorities have classified the incident as an attempted “infiltration with terrorist intent” by an armed group. As a result of the confrontation, four people on the boat were killed instantly, while a fifth person died several days later from injuries. Five others have been arrested and face terrorism charges, as they allegedly entered Cuban territory armed with the intention of destabilizing the government.
