HAVANA, Feb. 25 (Xinhua) -- Four people were shot dead and six others injured by Cuban border guards early Wednesday as they entered Cuban waters on a U.S.-registered speedboat, the country's interior ministry said.
In a statement, the ministry said that the speedboat, with U.S. Florida registration number FL7726SH, was detected navigating illegally about 1 nautical mile northeast of the El Pino channel, north of Corralillo, a town in the central province of Villa Clara.
As a surface unit of the border guard approached to identify the boat, the occupants aboard opened fire, wounding a Cuban commander, it added.
The ministry reaffirmed Cuba's commitment to safeguarding its territorial waters, calling national defense a pillar of its sovereignty and regional stability.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States is investigating the shootings but is so far relying on the Cuban government for information about what happened.
"As we gather more information, we'll be prepared to respond accordingly," he said.
When asked whether the incident involved American government personnel or was an American government operation, Rubio replied, "No."
The shooting comes amid rising tensions between the United States and Cuba. In January, after U.S. forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, Washington took control of Venezuela's oil exports and blocked shipments to Cuba. The U.S. administration also threatened tariffs on goods from countries that deliver oil to the island, deepening Cuba's economic crisis.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control under the U.S. Treasury Department said Wednesday that it will allow the resale of Venezuelan-origin oil to Cuba's non-governmental sectors, though these supplies are expected to fall far short of the island's needs. ■
