HAVANA (AP) — Cuba said a fifth person has died as a consequence of a fatal shootout last month involving a Florida-flagged speedboat that allegedly opened fire on soldiers in waters off the island nation’s north coast.

The island’s interior ministry said late Thursday in a statement that Roberto Álvarez Ávila died on March 4 as a result of his injuries. It added that the remaining injured detainees “continue to receive specialized medical care according to their health status.”

Authorities in Cuba said that on Feb. 26 Cuban soldiers confronted a speedboat carrying 10 people as the vessel approached the island and opened fire on the troops. They said the passengers were armed Cubans living in the U.S. who were trying to infiltrate the island and “unleash terrorism”. Cuba said its soldiers killed four people and wounded six others.

“The statements made by the detainees themselves, together with a series of investigative procedures, reinforce the evidence against them,” the Cuban interior ministry said in its statement, adding that “new elements are being obtained that establish the involvement of other individuals based in the U.S.”

Earlier this week, Cuba said it had filed terrorism charges against six suspects that were on the speedboat. The government unveiled items said to have been found on the boat, including a dozen high-powered weapons, more than 12,800 pieces of ammunition and 11 pistols.

Related Articles

The US attack on an Iranian warship did not violate international law, experts say

Russia has provided Iran with information that can help Tehran strike US military, AP sources say

US issues a license that authorizes sales of Venezuelan gold

Evidence suggests the deadly blast at an Iranian school was likely a US airstrike

A boost for Moscow in the shadow of Iran war: US allows India to buy Russian oil for a month

Cuban authorities have provided few details about the shooting, but said the boat was roughly 1.6 kilometers (1 mile) northeast of Cayo Falcones, off the country’s north coast. They also provided the boat’s registration number, but The Associated Press was unable to readily verify the details because boat registrations are not public in the state of Florida.

The shooting threatened to increase tensions between U.S. President Donald Trump and Cuban authorities. The island’s economy was until recently largely kept economically afloat by Venezuela’s oil, which is now in doubt after a U.S. military operation deposed then-Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america

Minnesota United at Nashville SC

When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: Geodis Park, Nashville
Stream: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV
Radio: KSTP-AM 1500
Weather: 64 degrees, cloudy, 7 mph north wind
Betting line: MNUFC plus-320; draw plus-290; Nashville minus-140

Form: MNUFC (1-0-1, 4 points) won its home opener 1-0 over FC Cincinnati last Saturday to stay unbeaten in the young season. Nashville (1-0-1, 4 points) had a scoreless draw at Dallas last weekend following a 4-1 blowout home win over New England in the season opener.

Recent matchups: The two teams haven’t played in MLS since 2022, a 2-1 Minnesota victory. The winning goal was scored by Alan Benitez, which was the Paraguayan’s only goal for the club. Nashville demolished Minnesota 5-0 in a Leagues Cup quarterfinal in 2023.

Theme: The Loons had a meeting Tuesday about finding ways to upgrade their scoring chances. Wil Trapp said the focus is on making an extra pass or play to increase the probability of a goal. MNUFC appeared to be settling for shots outside the box against Cincinnati, especially in the first half.

Absences: Michael Boxall (adductor) is out. James Rodriguez (contusion) is questionable. The Colombian attacking midfielder did not complete the training session on Thursday and is considered day-to-day. “It’s really out of an abundance of caution,” head coach Cameron Knowles said.

Scouting report: Nashville represents the most dangerous attack Minnesota has faced so far this season. Striker Sam Surridge and attacking midfielder Hany Mukhtar remain at the top of the billing but are joined this year by former San Jose playmaker Cristian Espinoza and 21-year-old Costa Rican Warren Madrigal.

“They really commit numbers forward; they have incredible movement,” Knowles said. “They are very efficient in picking teams apart when you give them space to play, so we have to be really disciplined as a group in how we defend. I think we showed a lot of that in the last game.”

Without the veteran Boxall as a linchpin at center back, Knowles said the Loons’ replacement options include Devin Padelford, Nico Romero and Carlos Harvey. They will have their hands full in Tennessee.

Stats: Loons forward Kelvin Yeboah’s two goals this season have come off six total shots and his production sits above his 1.74 expected goals, per FotMob.

Prediction: Nashville returns home, where they were dominant against the Revolution in the season opener on Feb. 21. Minnesota will be without a key leader and will find it hard to match that high gear. Nashville wins 2-1.

Related Articles

Loons want to be ‘battle-tested’ after tough schedule to start 2026 season

Loons ride Kelvin Yeboah’s goal for a 1-0 win in home opener

Loons vs. FC Cincinnati: Keys to the match, storylines and a prediction

Why Minnesota United didn’t say more about local ICE raids

Minnesota United fans embrace rebel loon logo to help community hurt by ICE

By MARK SHERMAN, LINDSAY WHITEHURT, KONSTANTIN TOROPIN and MOLLY QUELL

WASHINGTON (AP) — A U.S. submarine’s deadly attack on an Iranian warship does not appear to have violated international or American military law, though it’s not yet clear whether the sub took sufficient measures to rescue nearly three dozen survivors, legal experts said.

Legal questions are swirling about the underpinnings for the entire U.S.-Israeli military operation against Iran, and the aftermath of the torpedo attack on the IRIS Dena in the Indian Ocean, the experts said.

Eighty-seven people died and 32 Iranian sailors were rescued after the sub torpedoed the Dena in international waters near Sri Lanka.

While the attacks on Iran overall are “a clear violation of the UN charter,” the Dena was “a clear military target,” said Marko Milanovic, professor of international law at the University of Reading in Britain.

“Targeting a military vessel is not a war crime,” Milanovic said.

Two Iranian sailors, center, who were rescued from IRIS Dena warship by Sri Lanka’s navy are escorted to a Judicial Medical Officer from the National Hospital, in Galle, Sri Lanka, Thursday, March 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

The vessel had just participated in naval exercises hosted by India and was heading into international waters on its way home, the Indian government said.

But neither its location far from the war zone nor its presence for the joint naval exercises affects the legality of the strike, said Rachel VanLandingham, a professor at Southwestern Law School and a retired lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Air Force who served as a judge advocate general.

“It doesn’t matter that it wasn’t firing at the time,” she said of the Iranian ship. “It matters that it can be used to fire at American military assets.”

But what transpired after the torpedo struck the ship could raise concerns.

“The attack may not violate the law of war, but that’s only the start of the analysis,” said Brian Finucane, who served in the State Department’s Office of the Legal Adviser for a decade. “What happens after the attack is another matter.”

International humanitarian law says the U.S. should have taken “all possible measures” to help search for and collect anyone who was wounded or shipwrecked.

U.S. naval forces have the same obligation under the Pentagon’s rules as laid out in the Defense Department Law of War Manual. But the manual notes that “practical limitations,” including the cramped quarters of a submarine, could require it to alert other ships, airplanes or nearby authorities of the location of possible survivors.

Bringing people inside a submarine — one of the most closely guarded platforms in the U.S. Navy — also poses issues.

A U.S. official confirmed that following the strike, the United States contacted Sri Lankan authorities to provide them with the ship’s location for search and rescue efforts. The official spoke on condition of anonymity in order to discuss matters that were not authorized for release.

Related Articles

Spacecraft’s impact changed asteroid’s orbit around the sun in a save-the-Earth test, study finds

Judge weighs bid to block policy limiting journalists’ access to Pentagon

Heat waves that spark damaging droughts are happening more frequently, study finds

Russia has provided Iran with information that can help Tehran strike US military, AP sources say

Evidence suggests the deadly blast at an Iranian school was likely a US airstrike

Sri Lanka’s foreign minister, Vijitha Herath, told Parliament that Sri Lanka’s navy received a distress signal from the stricken ship, and sent ships and planes on a rescue mission.

But by the time Sri Lanka’s navy reached the location, there was no sign of the ship, “only some oil patches and life rafts,” navy spokesman Commander Buddhika Sampath said. “We found people floating on the water.”

Finucane said that without more information, “it’s hard to evaluate whether there were possible measures they could have taken. But at a minimum, they should be explaining this.”

Eugene R. Fidell, who teaches military law at Yale Law School, said it “may be a long time before we have a full account of who did what and when in the aftermath of the attack. If as it appears, they alerted the coastal authorities, they did right to do so.”

But even then, difficult questions remain, Fidell said, principally whether rescuers were close enough to the scene. “So until we get more clarity, granular clarity, I think it’s premature to make any judgments,” he said. “I’m being circumspect, but I think It’s important to be circumspect.”

Quell reported from The Hague.