Cuba on Thursday said that the United States is prepared to cooperate in an investigation into the deadly speedboat clash off Cuban waters, as U.S. officials told media that at least one American citizen was killed during the confrontation.

The incident comes amid heightened tensions between the two countries as the island country reels from a deepening humanitarian crisis, marked by critical fuel scarcity, prolonged power outages, and deteriorating access to food and healthcare.

U.S. to aid probe, Cuba says

The United States has expressed its willingness to cooperate in uncovering the truth behind a U.S.-registered speedboat's intrusion into Cuban territorial waters, Cuba's Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernandez de Cossio said on Thursday.

De Cossio told a press conference that Havana has been in communication with the U.S. State Department and the U.S. Coast Guard regarding the early Wednesday incident, which involved a firefight between armed personnel on the U.S. vessel and Cuban law enforcement.

Cuba will request specific details from the U.S. concerning the suspects, the vessel, and other relevant information through existing bilateral cooperation mechanisms between the two countries, he said, adding that more details are expected in the coming days.

He emphasized that this was "not an isolated incident," saying that for more than 60 years, Cuba has been targeted by "acts of aggression and terrorism," most of which were organized and funded from within the United States.

De Cossio revealed that two of the individuals involved in the latest shootout were on lists Cuba provided to the U.S. in 2023 and 2025 but had faced no legal consequences in the United States.

He reaffirmed that Cuba's counter-terrorism operations are compliant with international law and are a vital pillar of national defense and sovereignty.

At least one American dead

At least one U.S. national was killed and another injured following Wednesday's "highly unusual" shooting by Cuba's border guards at a U.S.-registered speedboat, multiple U.S. media outlets reported Thursday, citing U.S. officials.

The injured U.S. national is now receiving care in Cuba. The speedboat's owner reported that the 24-foot vessel had been stolen by an employee in Florida, U.S. officials told Axios, a U.S. news website. Four people were killed and six injured in the shooting.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has officially asked Cuba for access to the six injured people, a U.S. official told Axios.

Some of those aboard the boat sailing from the state of Florida have criminal records, according to the Axios report.

At least one person aboard holds a current U.S. K-1 visa, a non-immigrant visa allowing a foreign national to enter the United States to marry a U.S. citizen, the report said.

Others aboard the boat are believed to be legal permanent residents of the United States, the report added.

Rubio said on Wednesday that the administration of President Donald Trump is probing the deadly shooting and confirmed the incident did not involve U.S. government personnel or operations.

"As we gather more information, we'll be prepared to respond accordingly," Rubio said.

Cuba-U.S. ties at 'highly sensitive' juncture

The incident comes as the relations between Cuba and the United States are at a highly sensitive and complicated juncture, said Sun Yanfeng, director of the Institute of Latin American Studies at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations.

Trump on January 29, 2026 signed an executive order threatening ad valorem tariffs on imports from any nation that continues to supply oil to Cuba. In response, Havana announced a series of emergency measures on February 6 to counter this renewed oil blockade.

Sun said that while no specific group has claimed responsibility for the recent incursion of the Florida vessel, the event occurs at an exceptionally sensitive crossroads for bilateral ties.

On one hand, Washington is ramping up comprehensive sanctions against Cuba; on the other, reports suggest clandestine negotiations between the two sides are underway, Sun told China Media Group.

Notably, the U.S. Treasury recently authorized the sale of Venezuelan oil to Cuban private enterprises, signaling a potential shift or thaw in relations, he said.

Against this backdrop of potential rapprochement between the two governments, hardline Cuban exile groups within the U.S., longstanding adversaries of the socialist administration in Havana, may be acting independently, he analyzed.

Provocations from these groups are likely designed to force the U.S. government into a more aggressive military stance towards Cuba, Sun said, warning that such a shift could risk escalating the current status quo of economic blockade and military posturing into a direct military conflict.

Sun said the incident would inevitably impact U.S.-Cuba relations and, more significantly, affect the next phase of Washington's engagement with wider Latin America.

Following the U.S. moves in Venezuela earlier this year, Cuba has consistently been identified as the primary target for potential U.S. military strikes and regime-change operations, he noted.

Given the current U.S. tendency to rely on military threats as a primary diplomatic tool, he said any further tough gesture or direct strike against Cuba would likely ramp up tensions between the United States and the rest of Latin America.