Cuban Authorities Seize Vessels Found Along the Coastline

The Cuban Ministry of the Interior (MININT) has announced the confiscation of two vessels discovered in the nation's maritime zones, in accordance with the agency's Resolution No. 1/2015, which outlines the procedure for handling boats found in territorial waters.

According to the Border Guard Troops Directorate, a jet ski without a name, sporting black and yellow colors and bearing the number FL3058TC, was located on April 26 in the Quebrado el Real area, within the Nuevitas municipality of Camagüey province. This watercraft, constructed with a fiberglass hull, measures 3.20 meters in length, 1.10 meters in width, and 0.60 meters in depth. It is powered by a stationary YAMAHA engine with four cylinders.

The second vessel, lacking both a visible name and registration, was discovered on December 12, 2024, at Estero Los Negros in the Esmeralda municipality, also in Camagüey. This boat features a white fiberglass hull and measures 5.00 meters in length, 1.90 meters in width, and 0.60 meters in depth. It was equipped with a YAMAHA outboard motor with three cylinders and 60 horsepower, but without a serial number.

As reported by Granma, authorities have clarified that any owners who believe they are affected by these seizures have the right to submit a written claim to the Chief of the Border Guard Troops Directorate. This must be done within 20 calendar days following the official announcement in a national publication.

Abandoned maritime vessels like these are often left on Cuban shores, frequently after use by smugglers, drug traffickers, or migrants operating in the area. In late April, the government reported the discovery of two abandoned boats in coastal areas of Matanzas and urged the owners to claim them within the next 30 calendar days.

One of these was a boat with a plastic hull measuring three meters in length, 1.50 meters in width, and 0.40 meters in depth, with "DABID DIEHEL" handwritten inside one of its sides. It was found on December 21, 2024, in the area known as Canal de los Barcos, in the Martí municipality.

The other vessel appeared on January 24 of this year near the Sirenis Tropic Hotel in the Cárdenas municipality. This boat had a carbon fiber hull, measured 2.90 meters in length, 1.29 meters in width, and 0.65 meters in depth, and was fitted with a Yamaha outboard motor of 9.9 Hp and two cylinders, lacking any visible identification marks.