Florida men who tried to invade Cuba by boat charged with terrorism, Havana says

Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald on Mar 4, 2026

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The Cuban government says the Cuban nationals living in Florida who allegedly attempted to carry out attacks on the island will be tried on terrorism charges.

Six men Cuba accuses of trying to infiltrate the island aboard a speedboat brimming with bombs, ammunition and guns will be held in pre-trial detention while the legal process is ongoing, the Office of the Attorney General of Cuba said Wednesday evening.

The Florida-registered boat was intercepted by a Cuban coast guard vessel on Feb. 25 and several men on the boat were killed during a shootout at sea, the Cuban government has said.

The attorney general’s statement follows conflicting reports from Cuba about how many of them men are dead and how many are in custody. On Feb. 25, the day of the incident, Havana first said that four men had died and that another six were in custody. Two days later, the government said three had been killed and seven injured. It’s unclear why Cuban officials revised the death toll from four to three without explanation. It’s also unclear after the attorney general’s announcement who exactly is being charged.

The attorney general’s statement offered little clarity, further clouding an incident that has already generated significant international speculation.

“With respect to the rights and guarantees enshrined in the Constitution and the laws, the Prosecutor’s Office will ensure compliance with due process, and once the investigations are concluded, it will adopt the corresponding procedural decisions,” the prosecutorial agency said in a statement.

As Cuba tells it, its border authorities intercepted a boat of heavily armed terrorists hailing from Florida who were hellbent on overthrowing the Cuban government. The men are Cuban nationals living in the United States.

The Trump administration has not verified Cuba’s version of events, and emphasized the need for its own separate investigation. However, Trump officials have so far said little about the incident and made it clear they do not trust Havana’s leadership. Cuba has said it’s willing to collaborate with its American counterparts in the investigation.

On Feb. 26, Cuba identified the men detained in relation to the incident as Cristian Ernesto Acosta Guevara, Conrado Galindo Serrior, José Manuel Rodríguez Castelló, Leordán Cruz Gomez, Amijail Sanchez Gonzalez, Roberto Alvarez Avila.

Cuban officials also identified the deceased as Pavel Alling Peña, Michael Ortega Casanova, Ledián Padrón Guevara and Hector Duani Cruz Correa. On Feb. 27, Havana said that only three men had died but did not clarify which man was still alive.

Cuba had placed the names of Sanchez Gonzalez and Cruz Gómez on a terrorism watch list last year that includes people Havana says “have been subject to criminal investigations and are wanted by Cuban authorities for their involvement in acts of terrorism.” The list also included Miami-based influencers, journalists and advocates who oppose the island’s communist government.

Under Cuba’s penal code, people who clandestinely enter Cuba to commit terrorism can be punished by death or life in prison. People who finance terrorism can be subject to lengthy prison sentences of as much as 30 years.