U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced between 11:16 PM and 11:46 PM UTC on February 25, 2026, that the U.S. is gathering information on the deadly Cuban shooting involving Florida-registered speedboat FL7726SH near Corralillo to independently verify facts before informing Congress and deciding on a response, as reported by Local 10 citing Rubio's statements shared via MagJorgeCastro on X. Rubio stated there is constant contact with Cuban authorities at the Coast Guard level, noting the Cuban side's first report was fragmentary but later expanded via social media by the Cuban Embassy in the United States and a communication to the State Department. This follows Rubio's earlier confirmation at 10:46-11:16 PM UTC that the vessel was not a U.S. government boat and carried no government personnel, according to ABC News and CNN. The clash occurred 1 nautical mile northeast of El Pino channel in Cayo Falcones territorial waters, where Cuban Ministry of the Interior reported killing four and wounding six after the boat allegedly fired first, countered by prior U.S. official statements to The New York Times confirming it as a civilian relative rescue mission. U.S. and Florida investigations continue, with Florida Attorney General directing the Office of Statewide Prosecution earlier that evening due to distrust of Cuban accounts, as Cuban exile activist MagJorgeCastro accused the regime of lying by labeling the crew mercenaries.
