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After the Ministry of the Interior (MININT) identified him as detained due to the armed confrontation in Villa Clara, Roberto Azcorra Consuegra spoke from Miami to assert that he was never on the boat nor traveled to Cuba.
In the official list initially released by the Cuban authorities, his name appeared among the injured detained following the incident that occurred in waters near the El Pino channel, in Cayo Falcones, where four people died and others were injured.
According to the government version, the speedboat registered in Florida FL7726SH was transporting ten armed individuals who intended to enter national territory with "terrorist purposes."
However, the young man assured that he is in the United States and denied any involvement in the events. "Only my name is there, but I am physically here in the United States," he declared in an interview with Telemundo 51. Part of his statements were also disseminated in a television report shared on social media.
Azcorra stated that he does not know why he was included on the official list. “They already have my history of actions in Cuba and my actions here in the United States against them in Cuba, and it all seems to be associated but without any evidence,” he expressed.
When asked about the others involved, he indicated that he knows most of them. "I know almost all of them, and they are young just like me; they are young people who want the freedom of their country, and right now they are heroes and victims at the same time," he stated.
At that moment, before the Cuban authorities corrected the information, Azcorra also stated that he did not know exactly what his acquaintances were doing. “I didn’t know exactly what they were planning, I didn’t know exactly what they were doing, I only knew them personally and from spending time together,” he said.
According to the initial official version, the Border Guard troops detected the vessel approximately one nautical mile northeast of the El Pino channel in Cayo Falcones, Corralillo municipality. According to the government report, gunfire was opened from the boat towards the Cuban unit, resulting in an officer being injured. MININT reported the death of four individuals and the detention of six.
Subsequently, the regime acknowledged an error in identification. The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carlos Fernández de Cossío, admitted that Roberto Azcorra Consuegra was mentioned due to an "error in appreciation in the identification" and clarified that he is not part of the group.
In that update, the names of the ten individuals who, according to the government version, participated in the event were also disclosed. The list included Cristian Ernesto Acosta Guevara, Conrado Galindo Serrior, José Manuel Rodríguez Castelló, Leordán Cruz Gómez, Amijail Sánchez González, and Roberto Álvarez Ávila. Pavel Alling Peña, Michael Ortega Casanova, Ledián Padrón Guevara, and Héctor Duani Cruz Correa were also identified, with the latter four reported as deceased, according to the official information regarding the identification of the four deceased in the confrontation.
The government indicated that among the items seized on the vessel were assault rifles, sniper rifles, handguns, Molotov cocktails, night vision equipment, bulletproof vests, bayonets, camouflage clothing, ammunition of various calibers, communication devices, and “monograms of counterrevolutionary organizations of a terrorist nature.” It also asserted that the information remains preliminary.
Fernández de Cossío stated that from the very beginning, the Cuban authorities maintained communication with their U.S. counterparts, including the Department of State and the Coast Guard, and that there is a willingness to exchange information to clarify the events.
From Washington, Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated, “We will independently verify this to find out exactly what happened here.” He also pointed out that “the initial reports are incomplete” and that his government will use the existing official channels between both countries to accurately determine what took place, according to statements gathered following the official announcement regarding the incident.
The Vice President of the United States, JD Vance, indicated that the situation is being monitored and stated: “Certainly, it is a situation we are watching; hopefully, it won’t be as serious as we fear. But I can’t say more, because I simply don’t know any more.”
The maritime incident is still under investigation by the Cuban authorities.
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