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The congressman Mario Díaz-Balart demanded this Tuesday that the Cuban regime allow immediate consular access to a U.S. citizen detained on the island following a maritime incident that occurred on February 25, 2026, in which four people lost their lives.
In a message posted on the social network X, the legislator reported that officials from the United States Embassy in Havana have been unable to access the detained individual, which prevents them from knowing their health status and the conditions in which they are held.
"It is essential that the regime in Cuba does not obstruct the investigation of the maritime incident (...) and allows the U.S. Department of State full consular access to the American citizen in its custody," stated Díaz-Balart.
The congressman emphasized that this refusal violates what is established in the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, which guarantees detained foreign citizens the right to receive assistance from their country.
Díaz-Balart described the situation as "unacceptable" and called for transparency from the Cuban authorities.
"His family deserves answers, while the other detainees deserve humane treatment," he added.
The legislator also requested that a thorough investigation of the incident be allowed, with the involvement of U.S. authorities, and that the Cuban regime honor its international commitments.
Florida's Attorney General, James Uthmeier, recently announced the opening of an investigation following the death of four individuals in a boat registered in the state, which was carrying nine Cubans and one Cuban-American, and was intercepted by Cuban authorities with gunfire.
"I have ordered the State Office of Prosecution to work with our federal, state, and law enforcement partners to initiate an investigation," Uthmeier wrote on his social media. "The Cuban government cannot be trusted, and we will do everything in our power to hold these communists accountable," he added.
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