Cuban Communist Party Identifies Intercepted Speedboat Crew
The Cuban Communist Party has announced the identities of seven out of ten individuals found on a Florida-registered speedboat that was intercepted during a shootout on Wednesday.
Among those named were two individuals previously labeled as “terrorists” by the Cuban government. One of the victims, Michel Ortega Casanova, was recognized by friends and family as a “patriot” based in Tampa. He was said to have a deep obsession with ending the 67-year communist regime in Cuba.
On Wednesday, the Cuban embassy in Washington issued a statement from the Interior Department regarding the violent interception of the speedboat near northern Cuba. According to the statement, when a patrol unit from the Border Guard attempted to identify the vessel, its crew opened fire, injuring the captain of the Cuban ship. The report claimed that four foreign invaders were killed, and six others were injured as a result of the incident.
In Thursday morning editions, the official newspaper of the Communist Party published an article accusing those on the boat of terrorism. The article identified six individuals still detained by the regime, along with a seventh who was killed in the skirmish.
According to the report, the disabled speedboat was found carrying ten armed individuals who, based on prior statements from detainees, intended to infiltrate with terrorist aims.
The regime claimed to have discovered various weapons on the boat, including assault rifles, explosives like Molotov cocktails, bulletproof vests, telescopes, and camouflage gear.
The detained individuals have been identified as Amihail Sánchez González, Reordan Enrique Cruz Gómez, Conrado Galindo Sariol, Jose Manuel Rodríguez Castillo, Cristian Ernesto Acosta Guevara, and Roberto Azcola Consuegra. Michel Ortega Casanova was confirmed among the four killed. As of Thursday morning, the Cuban government was still working to identify the remaining three men.
Another person, Duniel Hernández Santos, was arrested for allegedly planning to arrive by speedboat on the island.
The official statement from the Communist Party indicated that everyone on board was a “Cuban national residing in the United States.” However, this assertion does not necessarily equate to citizenship in the eyes of the Castro regime, which treats all Cubans living in the U.S. as Cuban nationals, rejecting their American citizenship.
As of this writing, the Trump administration had not publicly verified any of the claims made by the Cuban government. Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed skepticism during a press conference on Wednesday, emphasizing the need for independent verification of the information provided by Cuban officials.
Some claims from Havana have already been discredited. Roberto Azcola Consuegra, one of the detained men, expressed surprise at being listed and denied knowledge of any plans to infiltrate Cuba. However, he did acknowledge his long-standing opposition to the Castro regime.
The names Sánchez González and Cruz Gómez appeared on a list of suspected terrorists published by the Castro government earlier this year. Many dismissed the list as false, aimed at suppressing dissent among Cuban Americans.
Friends and family confirmed that Michel Ortega Casanova was a well-known anti-communist figure in Tampa, with connections to the Cuban Republican Party. Casa Cuba de Tampa referred to him as a patriot dedicated to the cause of freedom. The Republican Party has stated that Ortega’s actions were not related to organized party efforts.
Wilfredo Beira, identified as a local leader of the Cuban Republican Party in Tampa, shared that the group did not intend to commit acts of terrorism but were motivated by a desire to encourage a movement for freedom in Cuba.
In a related report, Ortega’s brother acknowledged his obsession with ending communism in Cuba but mentioned that Ortega had not discussed any plans with family. Ortega had resided in the United States for over two decades and worked as a truck driver.
