According to an official press release from the Ministry of the Interior (Minint), the boat approached the north coast of Ciego de Avila province, picked up a group of people and then headed northwest.
A Cuban Coast Guard unit managed to reach it 11 miles inside territorial waters when the boat stopped due to apparent technical problems, the information says.
The source added that the passengers jumped into the water and the crew of the Cuban navy boat began the rescue efforts.
However, the speedboat resumed its trip and during the subsequent maneuvers both vessels crashed.
The Minint assured that as a result of the accident, three persons were injured, and one of them died during the evacuation, while 21 irregular migrants (four women and 17 men) were rescued at sea.
As part of the existing cooperation, communication took place with the Coast Guard liaison based in the Embassy of the United States in Havana, the communiqué, read on national television, said.
The Minint underlined that in the last few weeks there has been an increase in events with the use of violence by international human traffickers that endanger irregular migrants and members of the Ministry of the Interior.
According to the official note, authorities continue investigating the facts.
Cuba emphasized its commitment to maintaining safe, orderly and regular migratory flows.
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