Cuba accuses US of letting terrorists operate with impunity after speedboat raid

Cuban officials alleged the US allows terrorists to operate with impunity, citing an investigation into a February speedboat incursion by armed Cuban exiles from Florida. Five exiles were killed, five are in custody facing terrorism charges. Cuba accused a Florida-based Cuban national of organizing the plot; she denies it. The US did not comment.

Cuban law enforcement officials on Monday alleged that the US was allowing terrorists to operate with impunity on American soil, citing details of an investigation into a February speedboat incursion that led to a gun battle at sea, deaths and injuries on both sides. On February 25, 10 Cuban exiles attempted to infiltrate the island nation by boat from the Florida Keys, armed with nearly 13,000 rounds of ammunition, 11 rifles, 15 handguns, Molotov cocktails, a VHF radio and Starlink satellite communication equipment, according to the Cuban investigation described by state-run media. Five were killed; the rest, including some who were wounded, are in custody and face terrorism charges. Cuba said its investigation found that some of those involved in training insurgents remain at large in the US. Cuban authorities accused Maritza Lugo Fernandez, a Cuban national residing in Florida, of helping to organize the alleged plot. Lugo Fernandez denies the allegations. Neither the US Embassy in Cuba nor the US Department of Justice responded to a Reuters request for comment. The accusations come as the US has piled pressure on Cuba's government, including a nine-month de facto fuel blockade and reinforced sanctions.