Nicolai Haugsted
The US faces serious accusations from Cuba following a deadly confrontation involving armed exiles.
Relations between Washington and Havana have deteriorated sharply as the United States intensifies its economic pressure on Cuba, leaving the island struggling with a deepening crisis.
But the latest confrontation between the two governments goes beyond sanctions and diplomatic disagreements.
According to Reuters, Cuban authorities are now accusing individuals operating from American territory of organizing an armed mission intended to destabilize the communist government.
The allegations follow a deadly confrontation at sea earlier this year, when a group of Cuban exiles allegedly attempted to reach the island carrying a substantial arsenal.
Following months of investigation, Havana has accused the United States of allowing people involved in the alleged operation to remain free.
Armed group allegedly traveled from Florida
According to findings presented by Cuban law enforcement officials on Monday, ten Cuban exiles departed from the Florida Keys on February 25 with the intention of entering Cuban territory.
Authorities claim the group was carrying enough weapons and ammunition to conduct a coordinated attack.
The reported arsenal included nearly 13,000 rounds of ammunition, 11 rifles, 15 handguns and Molotov cocktails.
Investigators also identified a VHF radio and Starlink satellite communications equipment among the items allegedly transported aboard the speedboat.
The attempted incursion ended in a gun battle at sea, leaving five members of the group dead.
The remaining five were detained, including individuals who had suffered injuries.
Cuban officials said the survivors are now facing terrorism charges.
The account comes from the Cuban government’s investigation, and the full allegations have not been independently verified.
Cuba claims plotters wanted to trigger US intervention
The investigation has produced allegations about what the armed group intended to accomplish after reaching the island.
According to Cuban authorities, several detained participants confessed that the mission involved attacking police and border guard installations in Matanzas, a province east of Havana.
Investigators claim the group planned to strike multiple targets simultaneously.
The alleged objective was to encourage an armed uprising against Cuba’s government and create circumstances that could provoke American military intervention.
Such an operation, if carried out as described, would have represented a serious attempt to escalate tensions between the two neighboring countries.
However, the alleged confessions were reported by Cuban authorities, and their circumstances have not been independently established.
The investigation has also raised questions about whether the people detained at sea were acting alone or receiving assistance from individuals based in the United States.
Prosecutor accuses people in US of supporting operation
Cuban prosecutor Edward Roberts alleged that individuals and organizations operating on American soil had helped prepare the mission.
According to Roberts, the assistance included obtaining equipment, arranging transportation and securing weapons.
“It is also important to highlight … the crimes still being committed today by individuals and organizations that, from within the United States, provided the property used to carry out these acts, arranged and secured land and maritime transport, and facilitated the purchase and stockpiling of weaponry,” Roberts said.
Cuban officials claim that some people involved in preparing and training the alleged attackers remain in the United States.
Havana has used those findings to accuse Washington of allowing individuals it describes as terrorists to operate without consequences.
The allegations do not establish that American authorities knowingly permitted or supported the operation.
Florida-based activist rejects allegations
Among those identified by Cuban investigators is Maritza Lugo Fernandez, a Cuban national living in Florida.
She leads the Democratic Party of November 30, a Florida-based political organization known in Spanish as Partido Democrático 30 de Noviembre.
Cuban authorities accuse her of helping organize the alleged operation.
According to the investigation, some detainees claimed they had received training at a farm in Florida owned by Lugo Fernandez.
She has firmly rejected the accusations.
“For more than 40 years, that regime has accused me of being a terrorist – of everything they can possibly come up with … ,” she said in a video clip included in Cuban state media’s report.
“Personally, I live with peace of mind; I’m not concerned about what they say because I am very clear – fully aware – that it is all a lie.”
Her response underscores the dispute over the Cuban government’s allegations, which have not been tested in an independent judicial proceeding.
Washington has not responded to latest accusations
Neither the US Embassy in Cuba nor the Department of Justice responded to Reuters’ requests for comment on the latest findings.
However, American and Cuban authorities have previously acknowledged cooperation over the February incident.
Both Cuba and the FBI confirmed earlier that they were working together on the investigation.
That cooperation contrasts with the increasingly confrontational political relationship between the two governments.
Washington has imposed additional economic restrictions on Cuba, including a de facto fuel blockade that has lasted approximately nine months.
The measures have contributed to an already severe economic crisis, with the island facing major difficulties securing energy and essential supplies.
American officials have described the Cuban government as corrupt and openly advocated a change in the country’s leadership.
Havana, meanwhile, has repeatedly accused Washington of attempting to undermine its sovereignty.
