Fbi Arrives In Cuba To Investigate Fatal Shooting Of Florida-flagged Speedboat

The US has sent FBI agents to Cuba to analyse nan Florida-flagged speedboat that resulted successful 5 deaths successful February aft nan Cuban authorities said it was trying to infiltrate nan island.

Cuba said 10 men were connected nan boat, pinch 5 of nan men wounded and treated successful the infirmary aft an speech of occurrence with Cuban Border Patrol connected Feb. 25 successful what nan Cuban authorities has called a violent onslaught by Cuban expatriates who had been surviving successful nan United States.

The U.S. authorities said it wants to fully analyse Cuba’s claims and has disavowed immoderate relationship to nan group.

The FBI method squad arrived Tuesday to behaviour a thorough and independent investigation, a U.S. negotiated charismatic who is adjacent to nan matter told The Associated Press connected Thursday. The official, who said connected information they not beryllium named because they were not authorized to speak publically astir nan matter, did not supply specifications connected really galore FBI agents arrived aliases really agelong they would stay connected nan island.

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel had said successful March that he expected FBI agents to sojourn nan land to thief pinch nan investigation.

Cuban officials person said nan speedboat was detected pinch 10 men and subject instrumentality aboard successful waters northbound of nan island. They said nan men successful nan vessel fired first and that soldiers returned fire, sidesplitting 4 suspects. A 5th later died from his injuries. Six different men were wounded, including a unit personnel successful nan Cuban subject vessel.

The survivors look criminal coercion charges that could transportation a life sentence.

The conflict occurred amid heightened tensions betwixt Cuba and nan United States.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said astatine nan clip that nan group was not a U.S. authorities operation, and said U.S. officials would activity to verify nan accusation provided by Cuban authorities.

Days aft nan shooting, high-ranking officials from Cuba’s Interior Ministry and nan Revolutionary Armed Forces displayed subject instrumentality seized from nan speedboat and confirmed they had been successful interaction pinch nan U.S. Coast Guard.

The instrumentality included high-caliber rifles, pistols, uniforms, boots, helmets, typical rations, an electrical generator, a outer communications portion and astatine slightest 12,000 rounds of ammunition.