Rep. Fine to Newsmax: Can't Take Cuba at Its Word on Deadly Boat Incident

The United States should not automatically believe what Cuba has to say following a deadly incident involving a Florida-registered speedboat and Cuban Border Guard troops that left four people dead and six injured, Rep. Randy Fine told Newsmax on Thursday.

"I share Secretary [Marco] Rubio's view," the Florida Republican said on Newsmax's "Wake Up America Early." "We can't take the Cubans' word about what happened. It is a communist regime and has not been a friend of the United States."

Cuba has said the victims were armed Cuban nationals living in the United States who were attempting to infiltrate the island and carry out terrorist activities.

Fine said key facts remain unclear, including how the boat was obtained.

"The owner of the boat claims that his boat was stolen, and so we don't exactly know what happened," he said. "It's unusual. We need to get to the bottom of it, because the fact of the matter is, we deserve to have a friend 90 miles off the coast of Florida, not an enemy."

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has directed the Office of Statewide Prosecution to work with federal, state, and local partners to investigate the shooting.

Fine said the United States can continue its longstanding standoff with Cuba while pursuing answers.

"We've been in this sort of face-off for decades now, and that will continue," Fine said.

"We cannot trust what they say," he added. "We don't know who these people were that went over there. We don't know what they were trying to do. We don't know the circumstances about how they got this boat."

Cuba has "intended to harm the United States and harm its own people for decades," said Fine, noting that the regime's ties to Venezuela and other U.S. adversaries underscore the need for caution.

Fine also on Thursday addressed President Donald Trump's decision to appoint Vice President JD Vance as an anti-fraud czar tasked with rooting out waste in government programs.

"I'm incredibly excited that the president thinks this is important," Fine said. "I think what we're going to find as that investigation expands is widespread fraud just about everywhere."

Fine pointed to Minnesota, where the Trump administration has paused certain federal Medicaid payments to the state amid fraud concerns.

"The good news is, as we get rid of this fraud, we can bring down our deficit without hurting actual Americans who need these programs," he said.

Asked whether other states could see similar funding pauses, Fine said, "Absolutely."

"I think what we're seeing in Minnesota is the fraud was not a bug. It was a feature," he said, accusing Democrat officials of knowingly allowing misconduct. "They all need to go to jail."

Fine also discussed criticism over a prior social media post about choosing between dogs and Muslims, saying he brought his blind father and his seeing-eye dog, Sadie, to Trump's recent State of the Union address to underscore his support for American cultural values.

"This is the United States of America. If you want to come here, you abide by our values. You don't force us to submit to yours," Fine said. "This is the United States of America. We love our dogs. And if you don't like it, go back to where you came from."

GET TODAY NEWSMAX :

NEWSMAX is the fastest-growing cable news channel in America with more than 30 million people watching!

Reuters Institute reports NEWSMAX is one of the top news brands in the U.S.

You need to watch NEWSMAX today.

Get it with great shows from Rob Schmitt, Greta Van Susteren, Greg Kelly, Carl Higbie, Rob Finnerty – and many more!

Find the NEWSMAX channel on your cable system – Go Here Now

BEST OFFER:

Sign up for NEWSMAX and get NEWSMAX, our streaming channel NEWSMAX2 and our military channel World at War.

Find hundreds of shows, movies and specials.

Even get Jon Voight's special series and President Trump's comedy programs and much more!

Watch NEWSMAX on your smartphone or home TV app.

Watch NEWSMAX anytime, anywhere!