GOP Rep. Carlos Gimenez Says Cuban Regime 'Must Be Relegated to the Dustbin of History' After Attack on US-Registered Speedboat

Rep. Carlos Gimenez (R-FL) is calling for an immediate U.S. investigation after Cuban authorities reported a deadly confrontation involving a Florida-registered speedboat in Cuban waters that left four people dead and six injured.

"I am calling for an immediate investigation into this massacre," Gimenez said in a statement. "United States authorities must determine whether any of the victims were U.S. citizens or legal residents and establish exactly what occurred. The regime in Cuba must be relegated to the dustbin of history for its countless crimes against humanity."

Cuban authorities said the Florida-registered speedboat entered territorial waters about one nautical mile off Cayo Falcones and was intercepted by border guards. The Interior Ministry alleged those aboard opened fire first, wounding a Cuban officer and prompting a shootout that left four people dead and six injured, as BBC reports.

Officials said all ten passengers were Cuban nationals residing in the United States and that weapons, including firearms and improvised explosive devices, were recovered.

President Miguel Díaz-Canel said Cuba would "defend itself with determination and firmness" against any aggression while Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the episode "highly unusual" and said the U.S. would independently verify the facts.

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier also announced an investigation, saying he directed the Office of Statewide Prosecution to work with federal and state partners. "The Cuban government cannot be trusted, and we will do everything in our power to hold these communists accountable," Uthmeier said.

Gimenez said he has requested additional information from the State Department and the U.S. military and is closely monitoring the case. In a prior social media post, he wrote that "the dictatorship in Cuba has just attacked a boat from Florida & murdered those on board."

The incident comes amid heightened tensions between Washington and Havana. Earlier this month, Gimenez warned that if Cuban authorities continued to defy the administration, "Trump will annihilate you in a matter of seconds."