Cuban border guards killed four men and wounded six others on February 25 when a stolen Florida speedboat crossed into Cuban waters armed with assault rifles, Molotov cocktails, and camouflage uniforms. At least one of the dead held U.S. citizenship. A second American was wounded and remains in Cuban custody.
The boat belonged to Angel Walter Montera of Big Pine Key. He reported it stolen that morning, telling Monroe County Sheriff’s deputies he suspected his tile worker, Hector Duardy Cruz Correa, had taken it without permission. A neighbor had seen a man arrive in a white pickup truck the previous evening and sail away. Cuban authorities confirmed Cruz Correa was among the four killed. Montera learned his boat had gone to Cuba when reporters called him.
All ten aboard were Cuban nationals living in the United States, according to Cuba’s Interior Ministry. The U.S. confirmed at least two held American citizenship. Cuba’s Interior Ministry said the group planned an armed infiltration “for terrorist purposes” and seized assault rifles, handguns, Molotov cocktails, bulletproof vests, and telescopic sights. Two of the six detained — Amijail Sánchez González and Leordan Enrique Cruz Gómez — had appeared on a Cuban terrorism watchlist shared with U.S. authorities in both 2023 and 2025. Sánchez leads a South Florida exile group called Auto Defensa del Pueblo and posted a video earlier this month saying he was “ready to die” for Cuba’s freedom.
Michel Ortega Casanova, identified as one of the dead, was a U.S. citizen who had lived in America for 20 years as a truck driver. He left behind a wife, a mother, two sisters, and a pregnant daughter. His brother told the Associated Press he died pursuing what he called an “obsessive and diabolical” quest for Cuba’s freedom. Conrado Galindo, one of the six detained, is a former Cuban political prisoner whose son was jailed for participating in the July 11, 2021 anti-government protests.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking from St. Kitts the same day, confirmed the operation was not directed by the U.S. government and said Washington would not accept Cuba’s account at face value. “We don’t generally make decisions in the United States on the basis of what Cuban authorities are saying,” Rubio told reporters, according to the State Department transcript. DHS, the Coast Guard, and the U.S. Embassy in Havana all launched investigations. When asked about reported back-channel contact with Raúl Castro’s grandson, Rubio declined to confirm or deny the talks, saying the U.S. is “always open to listen” to anyone in Cuba’s system with information about “changes they’re open to making.” The Treasury Department expanded licenses the same day allowing Venezuelan oil sales to Cuba’s private sector. Rubio called it an existing legal provision.
Congressman Carlos Gimenez, in an official House press release, called the killings a “massacre” and said Cuban forces “executed” the men. He requested details directly from the State Department and the U.S. military. Senator Rick Scott posted on X demanding a full investigation and calling for the Cuban regime to be held accountable.
Three of the four dead remain unidentified by U.S. authorities. The Monroe County case is active. Both governments say investigations are underway.
Support Independent Local Journalism — High Country Advocate was created as a real alternative to regional media that too often silences dissenting voices while taking sides in the political struggle. Producing in-depth, unflinching reporting like this series and others is expensive: servers, editing, research time, and legal review all add up quickly. If these articles have informed you or given you new perspective, please consider supporting HCA with a paid subscription — every subscriber helps keep this reporting strong and independent. 