Six Cuban nationals living in Florida are facing terrorism charges in Cuba after authorities said they attempted to infiltrate the island by boat carrying weapons and explosives, an offense that under Cuban law can carry the death penalty or life in prison.
Cuba's Office of the Attorney General said that six defendants have been formally charged with terrorism in connection with the Feb. 25 incident and will remain in pretrial detention while the investigation continues.
The office added in a statement that prosecutors will ensure "compliance with due process" as the case moves forward.
The case stems from what Cuban authorities described as an attempted armed infiltration along the northern coast of Villa Clara province. According to the original statement by the Cuban Ministry of the Interior on the day of the incident, a speedboat registered in Florida was intercepted by border guard forces near the El Pino channel at Cayo Falcones after it allegedly attacked a patrol vessel.
Officials said the boat carried 10 armed individuals who, based on preliminary questioning of those detained, intended to carry out "an infiltration for terrorist purposes." Authorities reported seizing assault rifles, handguns, Molotov cocktails, body armor, telescopic sights and camouflage uniforms.
The Ministry of the Interior identified six detained individuals as Amijail Sánchez González, Leordan Enrique Cruz Gómez, Conrado Galindo Sariol, José Manuel Rodríguez Castelló, Cristian Ernesto Acosta Guevara and Roberto Azcorra Consuegra. Michel Ortega Casanova was identified among those killed in the incident, while authorities said efforts were ongoing to confirm the identities of other deceased individuals.
In a separate statement, Cuba's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the vessel had departed from the United States and that Havana had communicated with U.S. authorities, including the State Department and the U.S. Coast Guard, about the incident. The ministry said the Cuban government is willing to exchange information with the United States as part of the investigation.
Cuban officials have also said that two of the detainees — Sánchez González and Cruz Gómez — were previously included on Cuba's national list of individuals accused of involvement in terrorist activities.
Authorities say the investigation remains ongoing and that additional details will be released once the facts surrounding the incident have been fully established.
Originally published on Latin Times
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