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.
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 Florida under the number FL7726SH, according to CNN.
in defense of our people and the country's institutions.
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, according to CNN. 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. ' Two of the wounded – Amijail Sanchez Gonzalez and Leordan Enrique Cruz Gomez – were previously wanted by Cuba for terrorism offenses, according to the Cuban government.
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, according to Chief Prosecutor Edward Robert Campbell. The specific motives or planned targets of the alleged terrorist infiltration are unknown. The current condition of the wounded Cuban commander has not been disclosed.
assault rifles, handguns, improvised explosive devices (Molotov cocktails), bulletproof vests, telescopic sights, and camouflage uniforms were seized.