In brief
The Mexican navy has launched a comprehensive search for two aid ships, Friendship and Tigger Moth, that went missing en route to Havana. The vessels had departed Isla Mujeres on March 20 with nine crew members on board. The search operation is being supported by naval teams and military aircraft, as communication with the ships has been lost. The missing crew members hail from multiple countries.
A search and rescue operation is underway in the Caribbean for two missing sailboats filled with humanitarian supplies travelling from Mexico to Cuba.
Mexico has deployed naval teams and military search aircraft to locate the Friendship and Tigger Moth, which were carrying at least nine crew members, the Mexican navy said in a statement.
The vessels had been expected to arrive in Havana on Tuesday or Wednesday, but there has been no communication from them and no confirmation of their arrival, the navy said.
The Mexican navy said it was committed to using all of the resources at its disposal to locate the boats and ensure the safety of the crews. The two missing ships departed Isla Mujeres, in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo on March 20.
The nine crew members are from Poland, France, Cuba, and the US. Mexico said it has established contact with maritime rescue coordination centres from each country along with their diplomatic representatives.
The captains and crews are experienced sailors, and both vessels are equipped with appropriate safety systems and signalling equipment, the convoy's spokesperson said in a statement to Reuters.
There has been no comment on the missing boats by the Cuban government. Earlier in the week, the Cuban government widely celebrated and warmly received another boat that had carried 14 tonnes of humanitarian aid to the island.
Volunteers and NGOs have largely spearheaded efforts to deliver humanitarian aid to Cuba since January, when US President Donald Trump's fuel embargo on the Communist-run country began. The United Nations has since warned of dire supply shortages, with more than 50,000 surgeries cancelled in Cuba amid electricity supply constraints.
