The Cuban government accused the United States of enabling terrorists to operate on American territory after a February raid that killed five individuals and wounded others. The accusation came as officials disclosed findings from their probe into the incident, which they described as an attempt by armed exiles to infiltrate Cuba from Florida.
The February 25 operation involved ten Cuban exiles equipped with nearly 13,000 rounds of ammunition, eleven rifles, fifteen handguns, Molotov cocktails, and communication devices, including a VHF radio and Starlink satellite equipment. Five of the attackers died during the confrontation, while the remaining participants were detained and now face terrorism charges, as reported by Cuban state media.
Prosecutors in Cuba stated that confessions from the captured individuals revealed that additional exiles involved in training insurgents remain at large in the U.S. The investigation also identified Maritza Lugo Fernandez, a Florida-based Cuban national, as the organizer of the plot. She leads the Partido Democrático 30 de Noviembre, a group accused of supplying land, transportation, and weapons for the attack.
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Lugo Fernandez rejected the claims in a state-controlled media appearance, framing the accusations as part of a long-standing pattern of false allegations by Cuba’s government. “For more than 40 years, that regime has accused me of being a terrorist—of everything they can possibly come up with,” she said. “Personally, I live with peace of mind; I’m not concerned about what they say because I am very clear, fully aware, that it is all a lie.”
Cuban officials claimed the attackers had planned additional strikes against police and border guards in Matanzas province, seeking to ignite an armed rebellion and provoke U.S. military involvement. These accusations follow a period of heightened tensions, including a nine-month U.S. fuel embargo and sanctions that have worsened Cuba’s economic struggles.
Cuba’s state media also highlighted that the exiles had received training in Florida, suggesting U.S. territory was used as a staging ground.
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