several incidents of this kind have been reported, including two in 2022. In one case, a speedboat coming from the United States fired on Cuban Border Guard forces near Villa Clara, injuring a Cuban officer.

The other incident took place in Bahía Honda, in western Cuba, when a vessel also coming from the United States collided with an Interior Ministry patrol boat, causing the U.S. craft to sink and killing several of its occupants.

Authorities on the island frequently report finding abandoned or seized speedboats along the northern coast (Ciego de Ávila, Villa Clara, Havana), commonly used to pick up potential migrants. They describe these operations as “territorial violations and human trafficking.”