MIAMI – The death of four crew members and six injuries after the attack by the Cuban coast guard against a speedboat coming from USA off the coast of Villa Clara, could significantly aggravate tensions between Washington and Havanawarned the former commander of United States Naval Intelligence Jesús Daniel Romero, in the midst of a scenario of high geopolitical friction in the Straits of Florida.
The incident, confirmed by the Ministry of the Interior of Cuba (MININT), occurred just one day after commemorating the 30th anniversary of the downing of the civil planes of Brothers to the Rescue, by order of Cuban dictator Raúl Castro, in which four pilots of the humanitarian organization that rescued Cuban rafters fleeing the regime died, one of the most serious episodes in recent history that continues unpunished.
In an interview granted to DIARIO LAS AMERICASthe former commander of United States Naval Intelligence Jesús Daniel Romero warned that the event must be treated as an incident of high international gravity, beyond the official narrative of the Cuban regime.
“Four people killed in a maritime interdiction action is neither routine nor proportional to what is normally observed in coastal control scenarios,” he stated.
Doubts about the official version of the regime
Romero questioned the credibility of the version spread by the Cuban authorities, who claim that the civilian vessel opened fire on the border patrol.
“Any unilateral version should be treated as an allegation, not as a proven fact,” he pointed out.
“At sea, the truth is not built with political statements but with technical data: coordinates, times, angles of impact and recordings.”
According to the specialist, if Cuba intends to maintain its version before the international community, it must present verifiable evidence.
“Today we only have one narrative, that of the regime. At sea, the truth is in the tracks, ballistics and communications. Without that, this fact is not just a tragedy: it is an international problem.”
Use of force and responsibility of the State
Romero recalled that, although a State has the authority to enforce its laws within its territorial waters, the use of force is regulated by international principles of necessity and proportionality.
“Deadly force is only justifiable when there is a real and imminent threat that cannot be neutralized by less lethal means,” he explained.
He added that professional maritime operations follow a ladder of use of force, which includes identification, warnings and deterrent shots before the direct use of weapons.
“If this progression did not occur, there is a serious legal problem and possible international responsibility of the Cuban State,” he warned.
Political impact and risk of greater regional friction
From a strategic perspective, Romero pointed out that the incident transcends the immigration or police sphere.
“When there are American citizens killed in a maritime security event, the dimension moves to the political-strategic field,” he stated.
Although he ruled out a direct military escalation, he warned of a scenario of greater friction in the Straits of Florida.
“I don’t see a naval clash as likely, but I do see an increase in patrolling and tension. When trust is low and the narrative is confrontational, the risk of new incidents increases.”
United States reaction
The impact of the event has already begun to be felt in the United States. The state of Florida announced the opening of an investigation into the deaths of the four people who were traveling on the boat with Florida license plates. FL7726SH.
“I have directed the State Attorney’s Office to work with our federal, state and law enforcement partners to launch an investigation,” Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier said on social media.
“The Cuban government is not trustworthy and we will do everything in our power to hold these communists accountable,” he added.
For his part, the head of US diplomacy, Marco Rubio, stated that Washington is collecting its own information about what happened.
“We are not going to base our conclusions on what they have told us, and I am very, very confident that we will know the full story of what happened here,” Rubio told reporters from St. Kitts and Nevis, where he is participating in a summit with Caribbean leaders.
“As we gather more information, we will be prepared to respond accordingly,” he added.
According to official Cuban information, ten people were traveling on the boat: four died and six were injured. The event occurs at a time of high geopolitical tension between Cuba and the United States, marked by the migration crisis, the hardening of political discourse and the Cuban regime’s history of use of force in maritime operations, a scenario that keeps Havana’s actions under increasing international scrutiny.
