Cuban prosecutors on Tuesday filed formal charges of "crimes of terrorism" against six people and ordered them to remain in pretrial detention in connection with an incident last week in which Cuban forces say they killed four Cuban nationals and wounded six others aboard a speedboat that entered Cuban waters.
The Interior Ministry announced last Wednesday that a gunbattle at sea had taken place, accusing the group - described by Cuban authorities as exiles who came from the United States - of opening fire on a border guard vessel. Officials said the attackers intended to sow chaos and to target military units on the Communist-ruled island. Cuban forces returned fire and took six survivors into custody, the government said.
There has been no further official update on the condition of the wounded detainees or on their current whereabouts, a matter the government has not clarified during a period the article describes as one of heightened tensions between the U.S. and Cuba. The report notes that Washington has effectively halted all oil shipments to the Communist-ruled island while pressing for political and economic changes.
Cuban officials told state media that the purported infiltrators were armed with nearly 13,000 rounds of ammunition, 13 rifles and 11 pistols. Those armaments were displayed from a studio during a special television program on Friday. The program also showed photographs of the vessels involved, each depicted with multiple bullet holes. Havana said the firefight occurred at a range of 20 meters (66 feet).
Authorities additionally stated that at least two of those detained had previously been listed as accused terrorists. Prosecutor Edward Robert Campbell, speaking on the state television program on Friday, said the six face a range of possible charges including crimes associated with terrorist acts.
Campbell outlined the potential penalties should convictions follow: prison terms of up to 10 to 15 years for lesser offenses and 20 to 30 years - or even the death penalty - for the most serious charges, according to his remarks on state television.
The account provided by Cuban officials has drawn skepticism from some U.S. politicians, who have called for independent investigations. The article also reports that Secretary of State Marco Rubio said it was not a U.S. operation and that no U.S. government personnel were involved.
Context and reporting limits
The facts presented above reflect statements and images released by Cuban authorities on state media and the statements relayed there by the prosecutor. The article records that some details - notably the status and location of the wounded detainees - have not been further updated by Cuban officials.