After the Cuban military opened fire and killed four men from Florida, Republican politicians from the Sunshine State are again calling for regime change in the island nation.
Republican Rep. Carlos Gimenez said the regime needs to go in a news release Thursday.
"I am calling for an immediate investigation into this massacre. United States authorities must determine whether any of the victims were U.S. citizens or legal residents and establish exactly what occurred," said Gimenez, a vocal critic of the regime.
"The regime in Cuba must be relegated to the dustbin of history for its countless crimes against humanity," he added.
Gimenez had previously pushed the Trump administration to stop people in the U.S. from being able to send money to people in Cuba.
Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., who is seeking the GOP nomination for governor, echoed Gimenez's comments, while Sen. Rick Scott demanded the Cuban government be held accountable.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio vowed the Trump administration would investigate the shooting, saying the United States will not take the Cuban government at its word.
"We're gonna find out," Rubio told reporters. "We're not gonna base our conclusions on what they've told us. I'm very, very confident that we will know the full story of what happened here."
Cuba's Interior Ministry said the vessel came within 1 nautical mile northeast of a coastal town in central Cuba and opened fire on border officers when security forces attempted to identify those onboard.
The ministry said the boat was carrying 10 armed Cubans who live in the United States and were attempting an "infiltration" of the island for "terrorist purposes," according to state media.
Cuban officials said the wounded were evacuated for medical treatment and defended the country's actions.
President Miguel Diaz-Canel called the incident an "infiltration."
"Cuba will defend itself with determination and firmness against any terrorist and mercenary aggression against its sovereignty and national stability," Diaz-Canel said.
Cuban authorities said their forces responded after coming under fire from a Florida-registered speedboat just off the island's north coast.
The survivors were detained and are accused of intending to "carry out an infiltration for the purposes of terrorism," the ministry said, reporting that rifles, handguns, Molotov cocktails, and other military-style gear were seized.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier also ordered an investigation into the killings.
Miami-Dade County tax collector Daniel Fernandez said his office recently sent compliance notes to 4,000 businesses it discovered did business with "Cuba's socialist and communist dictatorship" after a six-month investigation.
In Florida, a business can have its license revoked if it is found to be doing business with Cuba.
Mexico and Canada also announced they are providing aid to Cuba, which has been devastated by the U.S. toppling of Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro and seizing the country's oil exports.
Cuba had relied on Venezuela for about half its fuel needs.
AFP contributed to this report.
Sam Barron ✉
Sam Barron has almost two decades of experience covering a wide range of topics including politics, crime and business.
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