2 boats carrying aid to Cuba reported missing by Mexico
Since last week, activists from several countries have left Mexican ports on vessels loaded with food and other supplies for Cuba, which faces a humanitarian crisis in the face of a U.S.-imposed fuel embargo.
The Mexican navy said Thursday that it was searching for two boats transporting humanitarian aid to Cuba with crew members of several different nationalities on board.
The vessels set sail March 20 from Isla Mujeres in Mexico's southeastern state of Quintana Roo and were due to arrive in Havana on Tuesday or Wednesday this week, the navy said in a statement.
It said that there had been neither "communication nor confirmation of their arrival" in Cuba and that it has alerted naval commanders in the region and its search and rescue stations.
A spokesperson for Nuestra America Convoy, a global coalition that is helping organize aid shipments to Cuba, indicated to CBS News in a statement Thursday night that the boats were part of its group.
"The captains and crews are experienced sailors, and both vessels are equipped with appropriate safety systems and signaling equipment," the Nuestra America Convoy spokesperson said. "We are cooperating fully with the authorities and remain confident in the crews' ability to reach Havana safely. We echo the Mexican Navy's appeal for any information or sightings of the vessels."