The Border Guard Troops of Cuba were established in 1963 and are subordinate to the Ministry of the Interior (MININT). Their official mission is to protect the country's maritime borders and combat crimes such as drug trafficking and human trafficking.
However, in recent years—alongside the increase in the massive maritime exodus of Cubans—several of its interception operations have resulted in gunfire, collisions, and fatalities.
Below is a chronological recap of the main cases recorded in the last five years.
December 2021 - Gunfire and injuries in Playa Baracoa
In December 2021, an incident occurred at Playa Baracoa, Artemisa, when a boat with migrants was intercepted offshore by a border patrol unit.
According to reports from family members, the vessel executed pressure maneuvers against the civilian boat, colliding with it during the chase.
During the operation, gunfire occurred and one of the crew members was injured in the forehead by a projectile, causing a deep wound that required suturing. Another occupant sustained injuries and burns during the interception.
After being forced to return to land, the migrants were penalized with administrative fines.
March 2022 - Fatal collision in Ciego de Ávila
On March 1, 2022, off the coast of Cayo Coco, in northern Ciego de Ávila, an interception operation ended with one deceased and two injured.
The official version stated that a speedboat was intercepted several miles off the coast and that during subsequent maneuvers, it collided with the Coast Guard vessel. Three people were injured and one died during the transfer to shore.
Subsequently, the deceased's brother publicly identified the victim as William Padrón Maza and demanded explanations on behalf of the family.
June 2022 - Armed confrontation in Bahía Honda
On June 27, 2022, a boat coming from the United States was intercepted three nautical miles north of Bahía Honda, Artemisa.
According to the Ministry of the Interior, during the attempted identification, there was an exchange of gunfire between the occupants of the vessel and the Border Guard unit.
One of the crew members of the boat died after being severely injured.
Authorities reported the discovery of firearms and drugs on the intercepted boat and framed the incident as part of an operation against human trafficking.
October 2022 - Several adults and a girl deceased in Bahía Honda
On October 28, 2022, one of the most serious and controversial events of recent years took place.
A Concorde model boat, registered in Florida and with over 20 people on board, capsized after colliding with a Border Guard unit on the northern coast of Artemisa.
Five people died -four adults and a two-year-old girl- and several others were reported missing initially.
As the days went by, the total number of deceased rose to seven.
The government stated that the vessel made a sudden turn that caused the collision in the context of an operation against human trafficking and denied that there was any deliberate ramming involved.
Survivors and family members reported that the boat was intentionally struck.
The case caused shock and became one of the most dramatic episodes of the recent maritime exodus.
February 2026 - Four dead and six injured in operation near Villa Clara
According to an informational note from the Ministry of the Interior (MININT), a suspected "fast boat" registered in the state of Florida (FL7726SH) was detected navigating within Cuban waters, approximately one nautical mile northeast of the El Pino channel, in Cayo Falcones, municipality of Corralillo, province of Villa Clara.
According to the official version, a surface unit of the Border Guard Troops—comprised of five personnel—approached the vessel to identify it.
At that moment, according to the statement, gunfire was opened from the "infringing" boat against the Cuban military.
In the exchange of gunfire, the commander of the Cuban vessel was injured. The official report stated that four individuals were killed aboard the boat and six were injured, who were evacuated and received medical attention.
The MININT confirmed that the vessel was carrying ten armed individuals who intended to enter national territory with "terrorist purposes," according to preliminary statements from those detained.
Authorities reported the seizure of assault rifles, handguns, homemade incendiary devices, bulletproof vests, telescopic sights, and camouflage uniforms.
They also noted that some of those involved have criminal records and that two of them appeared on national lists related to previous investigations.
107 documented deaths as of March 2023
Beyond these episodes, the independent organization Archivo Cuba reported that, by March 2023, it had documented 107 Cubans who had died in incidents attributed to the Border Guard Troops, including shootings, collisions, and other incidents at sea.
The organization warned that this was a partial record and that the number could be higher due to the number of missing persons in maritime crossings, whose fates are not always clarified.
The increase in incidents in recent years, coinciding with the massive exodus by sea, has put the interception methods used in Cuban waters under scrutiny.
In the official account, the Border Guard Troops act to protect the borders.
In some of the documented incidents, the intervention of border guard troops has ended with gunfire directed at civilian boats, collisions that have sunk vessels, and operations where the use of force has at times exceeded any notion of proportionality.
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