DEVELOPING: The Cuban regime identified four deceased individuals from a confrontation in Cuban territorial waters as Pavel Alling Peña, Michael Ortega Casanova, Ledián Padrón Guevara, and Héctor Duani Cruz Correa, while rectifying its initial list to confirm ten total participants, excluding Rolando Roberto Azcorra Consuegra who was reported in Miami, according to a statement shared by journalist Jorge Castro on X at approximately 10:16-10:45 PM UTC on February 26, 2026. The official communication, posted during the 29-minute reporting window, stated that U.S. authorities have shown willingness to cooperate in clarifying the facts of the incident, which occurred earlier this week. It corrected an earlier report that had mistakenly listed Azcorra Consuegra as wounded, after he appeared in statements to a Miami television station refuting his involvement. This update follows Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos F. de Cossio's earlier statement at 10:15 PM UTC confirming ongoing communication with the United States on the Villa Clara province waters incident, as shared by Jorge Castro on X. The regime's note marks the first official identification of the deceased and total participant count in the past 30 minutes.
