Two Cuba-Headed Humanitarian Sailboats Declared Missing following Leaving the Coast of Mexico.

A comprehensive rescue and recovery operation is currently in progress in the Caribbean Sea for a pair of missing boats loaded with aid cargo traveling from the Mexican coast to Havana.

Maritime Rescue Operations Deployed

The Mexican government has dispatched naval assets and reconnaissance aircraft to find the Friendship and Tigger Moth, which were carrying no fewer than nine total sailors, according to a navy statement.

The vessels had been expected to make landfall in Havana on Tuesday or Wednesday, but there has been radio silence from them and zero verification of their arrival, the navy said.

The Situation of Relief to Cuba

The island nation has leaned on Mexico's over the past few weeks, as the country struggles through repeated power outages across the country.

"Both crews and captains are veteran seafarers, and each boat are fitted with appropriate navigational gear and communication devices," a spokesperson associated with the mission commented.

The nine individuals on board are nationals of Poland, France, Cuba and the US. Mexican authorities said it has established contact with coast guard agencies from the involved countries along with their consular staff.

"Our team is collaborating completely with the relevant authorities and are still optimistic in the capability of the sailors to safely arrive in Havana," the statement continued.

Previous Humanitarian Mission

Previously that week, the Cuban authorities warmly welcomed and greeted with fanfare a separate vessel that had carried 14 tons of humanitarian aid to the island.

That boat, dubbed "Granma 2.0" in reference to the yacht in which the revolutionary leader returned to Cuba to launch the armed struggle in the 1950s, carried photovoltaic panels, drugs, baby formula, bikes and provisions.

Larger International Climate

Charity groups and individuals have been at the forefront of initiatives to deliver humanitarian aid to Cuba beginning in January, a period which saw a energy blockade on the island nation began.

International organizations have since warned of ""severe" lack of essential goods, with more than fifty thousand operations postponed in Cuba due to power shortages.

Diplomatic measures have been ramped up over the past months, with remarks from several representatives highlighting the complex situation regarding diplomatic ties.

In response to previous proposals, a high-ranking official from Cuba declared that "the political system of Cuba is non-negotiable."

Accounts suggest that preliminary steps of negotiations were initiated, although their current progress remains not publicly known.

The Mexican navy said it was pledged to using all of the resources at its command to find the boats and secure the safety of the crews.

As of now, there has been silence on the lost ships by the Cuban leadership.