Cuban law enforcement officials alleged on Monday that the United States is allowing terrorists to operate with impunity on American soil. The accusation follows a sprawling investigation into a deadly February speedboat incursion that triggered a fierce gun battle at sea, leaving multiple combatants dead and wounded on both sides.
Cuban Exiles Launch Armed Infiltration from Florida Keys
According to findings detailed by state-run media on October 19, 2026, a heavily armed crew of 10 Cuban exiles set off from the Florida Keys on February 25 to infiltrate the island nation. State investigators revealed that the raiding party carried nearly 13,000 rounds of ammunition, 11 rifles, 15 handguns, Molotov cocktails, a VHF radio, and Starlink satellite communication gear. Five members of the infiltrating team were killed during the maritime clash, while the surviving combatants were taken into custody to face serious terrorism charges.
Havana’s ongoing investigation, which relies heavily on confessions gathered from the detained men, points directly to Florida as a staging ground for the failed raid. Cuban prosecutor Edward Roberts stated that individuals and organizations inside the United States provided vital logistics, including properties used for staging, maritime and land transport, and the stockpiling of military-grade weaponry.
Investigators specifically targeted Maritza Lugo Fernandez, a Florida-based Cuban national who leads the political group Partido Democrático 30 de Noviembre, or the Democratic Party of November 30. Detained suspects confessed under questioning that they completed tactical training on a farm owned by Lugo Fernandez in Florida.
Cuban Official Denies Terrorism Allegations, Diplomatic Ties Remain Strained
Lugo Fernandez firmly rejected the accusations during a clip broadcast by state-run media, dismissing the claims as part of a decades-long pattern of harassment. For more than 40 years, the Cuban government has accused her of terrorism and various other offenses, she noted, adding that she lives with complete peace of mind and views the allegations as entirely false.
Diplomatic friction compounds the investigative deadlock. Neither the United States Department of Justice nor the US Embassy in Cuba responded to requests for comment regarding the latest allegations. Previously, Cuban authorities and the Federal Bureau of Investigation maintained a working channel of cooperation on the speedboat case.
Intentions Behind the Raids and Broader Economic Pressures
Confessions obtained by Cuban authorities indicate that the raiding party intended to execute simultaneous strikes against police and border guard stations in Matanzas, a province situated just east of Havana. The suspected blueprint aimed to spark an armed domestic uprising capable of triggering direct United States military intervention.
These severe security accusations emerge against a backdrop of escalating pressure from Washington. The United States has maintained a nine-month de facto fuel blockade alongside reinforced economic sanctions against Havana, generating an unprecedented economic crisis across the island while openly declaring its intent to force a change in Cuba’s leadership.
