Ships, planes from US invade Cuban waters
In a statement released on July 14, the Cuban government reported that on the previous afternoon, "around 11 ships, six aircraft and two helicopters from the United States penetrated into the waters and airspace of Cuba in a flagrant violation of the international laws".
Cuba said that all the ships penetrated Cuban territorial waters "almost 10 miles [16 kilometres] to the north of our coasts. All the aircraft violated Cuban airspace and a small airplane even flew over the coastal zone of Havana City.
"The aircraft provocatively and dangerously made flights close to the Cuban naval units of the border troops, placed in that area to protect the integrity of our frontiers. Our border troops maintained equanimity vis a vis the provocations, in this way avoiding serious incidents.
"The Cuban Government had clearly warned the US Government that it would take the necessary measures to stop these actions, which are flagrantly a provocation and a violation of Cuban and international laws, organised by right-wing elements of Cuban origin in Miami."
The Cuban government said its ships were manoeuvred alongside the intruders "to physically prevent the US ships which were already in Cuban waters, from going straight forward towards our coasts". No weapons were fired.
The statement warned, "Cuba cannot tolerate, like any other nation would not, the flagrant violation of its frontiers or provocative acts against our country.
"On several previous occasions, ships which have perpetrated terrorist actions against economic targets and helpless civilians, have entered our waters, [and] some persons have been assassinated in cold blood.
"The Revolutionary Government reiterates its firm determination to take every necessary action to prevent acts like this from happening.
"Once again, we warn that any ship coming from abroad which invades by force our sovereign waters, can be sunk and any plane, brought down.
"With high patience we have faced this rough provocation, but the patience also has limits.
The responsibility for what happens will fall exclusively on those who encourage, plan, implement or tolerate these pirate actions."