2 Aid Boats Missing En Route to Cuba

The Mexican Navy has launched a search and rescue operation in the Caribbean to locate two sailboats carrying humanitarian aid to Cuba after they failed to arrive as scheduled.

The vessels departed from Isla Mujeres in the state of Quintana Roo last week, heading toward Havana with nine people of different nationalities on board. They were expected to arrive on March 24 and 25, but did not reach the Cuban capital.

In a statement, the Navy called on maritime authorities and vessels in the region to report any sightings or information, adding that an aircraft is being used to search along the route between Isla Mujeres and Havana.

The aid boats are part of the “Nuestra America Convoy,” a non-government initiative aimed at delivering humanitarian supplies to Cuba, which is facing a severe energy and economic crisis linked to tighter US restrictions on oil and other goods.

The Trump administration tightened its blockade on Cuba in January following the removal of Venezuela’s president Nicolas Maduro.

Volunteers in Mexico loaded the boats with essential supplies including rice, beans, baby formula, wipes, and medicine before departure. One separate vessel from the convoy reached Havana earlier this week.

Mexican authorities have contacted maritime rescue coordination centers in several countries, including Poland, France, Cuba, and the US, and have also reached out to diplomatic representatives of the missing individuals’ countries of origin, which have not yet been disclosed.