Two Aid-Carrying Sailboats Vanish in the Caribbean En Route to Cuba
Two sailboats carrying humanitarian aid to Cuba have gone missing in the Caribbean. The vessels, named Friendship and Tigger Moth, departed from Isla Mujeres, Mexico, on 20 March 2023 but failed to reach Havana as planned. Mexican authorities have launched a search-and-rescue operation to locate the boats and their nine crew members. The missing boats were part of the Nuestra América convoy, a grassroots initiative delivering aid to Cuba amid severe economic struggles and power shortages. The convoy's flagship, Maguro, arrived in Havana on 24 March, followed by two other sailboats later that day. Another vessel, Granma 2.0, had already reached the port earlier in the week with 14 tonnes of supplies.
The Friendship and Tigger Moth were expected to dock between 24 and 25 March, but no contact has been made since their departure. The nine crew members include nationals from Poland, France, Cuba, and the US. In response, Mexico's navy has deployed ships and military aircraft to search the Caribbean waters, vowing to use all available resources to find the vessels.
Cuba's ongoing crisis has led to critical shortages, with the UN reporting over 50,000 cancelled surgeries due to electricity constraints. The Nuestra América convoy has stated it is cooperating fully with authorities and remains hopeful for the crews' safe arrival. As of late March 2026, no further ships from the convoy are en route to the island. The search for the missing sailboats continues, with Mexican naval teams actively scanning the Caribbean. The humanitarian aid they carried was intended to ease Cuba's worsening supply shortages. No additional updates on the crew's whereabouts have been reported since the operation began.
