Cuba Says US-Based Suspects Confessed in Armed Incursion

Cuban authorities announced Monday that a group of men captured in February after attempting to enter Cuba by force from the United States have confessed and cooperated with investigators. Officials stated that forensic examinations confirmed the seized weapons and explosives were powerful and operational.

Col. Francisco Estrada Portales, an official with the Interior Ministry’s State Security department, told The Associated Press that the men could face terrorism-related charges involving deadly devices and explosives under Cuba’s penal code. These offenses can carry the death penalty, though prosecutors have not yet requested specific sentences, and Cuba has not carried out an execution in decades.

The incident occurred on Feb. 25 when a speedboat carrying 10 men of Cuban origin from the United States attempted to enter Cuban waters. Authorities reported that the group opened fire on a Cuban coast guard vessel that tried to intercept it. Three attackers were killed in the confrontation, and a fourth died later from injuries. The boat was intercepted approximately 1.6 kilometers (1 mile) northeast of Cayo Falcones, off Cuba’s northern coast. The captain of the Cuban coast guard vessel sustained injuries, and authorities also reported arresting a person on land who allegedly provided support to the group.

This event took place amidst heightened tensions between Cuba and the United States, with Washington having imposed energy restrictions on the island as part of its efforts to influence the Cuban government. The U.S. has not ruled out military action.

Previously, Cuba’s Interior Ministry displayed weapons and equipment seized from the group. These included rifles, handguns, explosives, clothing, uniforms, boots, helmets, medical supplies, food, an electric generator, satellite communications equipment, and thousands of rounds of ammunition. Estrada asserted that "the weapons and explosives were all in good working condition and ready to be used to cause harm."

According to Estrada, the suspects' confessions and cooperation helped investigators identify Amijail Sánchez, a Cuban who has lived in the United States since 2016, as the individual who fired the first shots. Sánchez is in custody and was included on a list of alleged terrorists that Cuba submitted to the United Nations last year. Another detained suspect, Leordan Cruz, also appears on Cuba’s terrorism list.

Cuban authorities presented video recordings of statements made by the suspects to the Associated Press. In one recording, Cruz stated that the group’s objective was to secure an area and incite Cubans to overthrow the government. The AP could not independently verify the contents of these recordings or the circumstances under which they were made.

Estrada stated that Cuban authorities had shared their findings with the United States but had not received a response as of Monday.