Mexican Navy Searches Caribbean for Two Missing Aid Boats Bound for Cuba

The catamarans Friendship and Tigger Moth set sail from Isla Mujeres in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo on March 20, carrying nine crew members of Polish, French, Cuban, and American nationality. They were expected to arrive in Havana between March 24 and 25, but no contact has been made and there has been no confirmation that they reached their destination.

Mexico's navy activated a search-and-rescue operation in the Caribbean to locate the two sailboats after the vessels failed to arrive in Havana. Naval teams and military search aircraft have been deployed, with the Mexican navy committed to using all resources at its disposal to find the boats and ensure crew safety. The navy also appealed to seafarers and maritime authorities throughout the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico to report any sightings to the nearest naval authority.

As part of the search protocols, the Naval Commands of the Fifth Naval Region and Ninth Naval Zone, based in Isla Mujeres and Yucalpetén, were alerted. Mexico coordinated with maritime rescue centers in Poland, France, Cuba, and the United States, as well as with diplomatic representatives from the countries of the crew members.

Mission coordinator Adnaan Stumo confirmed the two catamarans were carrying between two and three tonnes of medicines and food supplies. The Friendship and Tigger Moth are part of the broader Nuestra America Convoy, a grassroots, volunteer-driven initiative that has seen activists from multiple countries load boats in Mexican ports with rice, baby wipes, beans, baby formula, medicine, and other goods bound for the island. The convoy spokesperson offered reassurance amid the uncertainty: "The captains and crews are experienced sailors, and both vessels are equipped with appropriate safety systems and signalling equipment. We are cooperating fully with the authorities and remain confident in the crews' ability to reach Havana safely."

A separate vessel from the same convoy successfully reached Havana earlier in the week, delivering around 14 tonnes of aid. That vessel, dubbed "Granma 2.0" in a nod to the boat Fidel Castro used to return to Cuba in the 1950s, delivered solar panels, medicines, baby formula, bicycles, and food to a warm reception. The Cuban government has made no comment on the two missing boats.

The boats were transporting essential aid intended to support Cubans facing severe energy shortages and prolonged power outages amid the island's ongoing economic difficulties. Volunteers and NGOs have largely driven these delivery efforts since January, when President Donald Trump's tightening of the embargo on oil and other goods deepened Cuba's fuel crisis and triggered nationwide blackouts. The navy's search operation remains active across the Caribbean route between Isla Mujeres and Havana, with nine lives waiting to be accounted for.