The brother of Leordan Cruz Gómez, one of the survivors of the armed confrontation that took place off the coast of Villa Clara, categorically denied the terrorism allegations made by the Cuban government against the group.
According to their statement, what is being said about their relative is “completely false.”
Cruz Gómez appears on the list released by the Ministry of the Interior (MININT) as part of an alleged "attempt at armed infiltration for terrorist purposes."
However, his brother argues that this version does not align with the personal or religious background of the detained individual.
“Since he was five years old, he has been a Jehovah's Witness. In other words, no religious person does anything against a country, let alone terrorism,” he stated, emphasizing that the faith his family practices is incompatible with violence.
"I grew up with my brother, and I assure you that there is not a single traffic violation in Cuba's records. It is completely false," he reiterated.
The news, he assured, was "a surprise" for everyone.
Although he acknowledged that his brother "never got along with that government", he believes that this does not justify the accusations now against him.
"From there to the lie they are inventing is quite a stretch. It’s unbelievable... I don’t know what they could possibly base their comments on," he questioned.
Beyond the political debate, what troubles him today is the uncertainty about his physical condition and his well-being.
“You care about his integrity, his health condition completely. Because tomorrow they can tell me that he is dead, they can make it up and really kill him. We want to know what is happening”, he expressed.
It also reported the lack of official information regarding potential injuries.
"I have tried to communicate through every means I could, the few means I had, because in that country there is no communication. With the little I have been able to convey, there is no report in any hospital of gunshot injuries," he concluded, casting doubt on the account of a shootout with injuries.
Leordan Cruz's wife claimed that she thought her husband was working and that after several days without hearing from him, she ended up filing a police report on Tuesday to report his disappearance.
According to the MININT, the vessel -registered in Florida- was intercepted in Cuban territorial waters. The official account claims that it did not comply with the order to stop and fired upon Cuban forces, which resulted in an armed exchange.
The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carlos Fernández de Cossío, stated that it was an "attempt at armed infiltration for terrorist purposes."
According to Havana, the vessel was seized with assault rifles, sniper rifles, pistols, Molotov cocktails, night vision equipment, bulletproof vests, ammunition, and "monograms of contrarrevolutionary organizations of a terrorist nature."
The official list of those involved included ten people.
In addition to the four deceased, the following individuals were identified as survivors: Cristian Ernesto Acosta Guevara, Conrado Galindo Sariol, José Manuel Rodríguez Castelló, Leordan Cruz Gómez, Amijail Sánchez González, and Roberto Álvarez Ávila.
According to the Cuban government, two of them were on a national list of individuals linked to investigations for terrorism.
In parallel, the authorities reported the on-ground detention of Duniel Hernández Santos, whom they described as the group's contact and "confessor of its actions."
Individuals who identify as close to him have questioned that version and portray him as someone without a history of violence.
Investigation in the US and vigil in Miami
From Washington, the narrative has been more cautious. A U.S. official confirmed that at least one of the deceased and one of the injured were U.S. citizens, and that another had a K-1 visa.
The boat's owner, a 65-year-old man, reported the vessel stolen from a dock in the Florida Keys.
The Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, stated that the United States will independently investigate the incident.
"I have more than enough reasons to want our own information. In the U.S., we do not make decisions based on what Cuban authorities say," he declared. He also emphasized that it was not a U.S. operation and that there was no government personnel involved.
In Miami, in front of the iconic Café Versailles, activists and family members held a vigil.
Some described what happened as "a massacre" and spoke of "disproportion" in the use of force.
Others insisted that, although there are supportive stances for armed struggle within certain sectors of the exile community, this does not automatically label those involved as "terrorists."
More questions than answers
Beyond the diplomatic clash and the official accusations, the outcome is clear: four men have died and six remain in custody in Cuba.
For the Cuban government, the case fits into the narrative of an organized aggression from the exile community. For family members and loved ones, these are workers, believers, or young people whose accounts have yet to be heard publicly.
As parallel investigations continue in Havana and Washington, the waters off Villa Clara remain more puzzling than conclusive. For the family of Leordán Cruz Gómez, the priority is not the political discourse, but rather to know for certain the conditions he is in.
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