A speedboat with 21 people on board departed this Saturday from the shores of Dimas, in the municipality of Mantua, Pinar del Río, heading to Cancun, Mexico, as confirmed by the independent platform NiO Reportando Un Crimen in a video shared on Facebook.
The vessel took a maritime route that crosses the Gulf of Mexico, which is considered particularly dangerous due to the distances and sea conditions. At the time of publication, the platform had not been able to confirm that the 21 occupants arrived safely at their destination.
"The vessel is headed to Cancun, Mexico, using a dangerous maritime route that once again highlights the scale of the economic and social crisis facing Cuba," noted NiO Reporting a Crime in their publication.
"From NiO Reporting A Crime, we are following up on this information and hope to be able to confirm soon that the 21 individuals have safely reached their destination," the platform concluded.
The locality of Dimas, in the westernmost part of Pinar del Río, has become one of the most active points for irregular maritime departures from the country to Mexico. The area was the scene, just weeks ago, of at least two episodes of extreme seriousness.
In mid-August, two young men—Leodannis Sánchez, 17, and Osmaikel, 19—drowned in Sandino, Pinar del Río, while a boat with a broken engine was attempting to reach Cancun.
Just recently, a group of 19 Cubans who left Havana heading to Mexico —including seven minors— was missing for several days until the Secretariat of the Navy of Mexico located the vessel near Yucatán. The official rescue was of 16 people, a number lower than the 19 who had departed.
In March, the disappearance of eight Cuban rafters who left Pinar del Río in February heading to Mexico was also reported.
Fast boats represent a more expensive method than traditional rafts, but equally dangerous. Their use has spread in western Cuba as an alternative route to Florida, partly due to the tightening of U.S. immigration policy and the increase in deportations.
In the first half of 2026, at least 740 Cubans were forcibly repatriated from the United States. By August, that accumulated figure had risen to 882 individuals in 31 operations, according to data collected by international agencies.
The phenomenon reflects an unprecedented migration crisis. According to the Cuban Migration Risk Index prepared by El Toque, the indicator reached its highest level in April 2026, classified as "extreme."
The underlying figures are equally revealing: the National Office of Statistics and Information (ONEI) reported that Cuba lost 313,414 inhabitants between 2024 and 2025 due to migration, which is equivalent to 2.5% of its total population, driven by prolonged blackouts, food shortages, and the economic deterioration accumulated over decades of dictatorship.
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