Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Rep. Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla., are calling for an investigation after Cuban authorities allegedly opened fire on a U.S.-registered boat Wednesday, killing four people in waters near the island.

"We're going to find out exactly what happened here, and then we'll respond accordingly," Rubio said while attending a regional conference in St. Kitts and Nevis.

Rubio, who was born in Miami to Cuban immigrants, noted the rarity of such an incident, saying, "It is highly unusual to see shootouts in open sea like that. It's not something that happens every day. It's something, frankly, that hasn't happened with Cuba in a very long time."

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.

"In the face of current challenges, Cuba reaffirms its determination to protect its territorial waters," the government said on X, calling national defense a pillar of its sovereignty.

Gimenez, a vocal critic of the Cuban government, condemned the incident.

"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," he said. "The regime in Cuba must be relegated to the dustbin of history for its countless crimes against humanity."

The shooting threatens to further strain already tense relations between Washington and Havana. U.S.-Cuba ties have remained fragile for years, marked by sanctions, diplomatic disputes, and long-standing political hostility since the 1959 Cuban Revolution.

The island nation sits 90 miles south of Florida, and maritime incidents have historically heightened tensions, particularly amid disputes over migration, security, and alleged subversive activity.

U.S. officials have not yet released details about the identities of the four people killed or confirmed Cuba's account of the confrontation.

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