Two Separate Cuba-Headed Aid Sailboats Reported Unaccounted For after Leaving Mexico.

A large-scale search and rescue mission is actively under way in the Caribbean region for two unlocated sailing vessels transporting aid cargo en route from Mexico to Havana.

Military Search and Rescue Missions Launched

Authorities in Mexico has deployed naval assets and search planes to search for the Friendship and Tigger Moth, which were transporting a minimum of 9 personnel, as stated by a military release.

The ships had been projected to make landfall in Havana on Tuesday or Wednesday, but there has been no communication from them and no confirmation of their docking, the navy said.

The Situation of Aid to the Island

The island nation has relied heavily on aid convoys from Mexico over recent weeks, as the country struggles through repeated nationwide blackouts.

"The crews and captains are veteran seafarers, and the two ships are fitted with appropriate safety equipment and signalling equipment," a representative for the convoy commented.

The nine individuals on board are from Poland, France, Cuba and the US. Officials said it has opened communications with rescue coordination centers from the involved countries along with their embassy officials.

"The group is collaborating completely with the authorities and are still optimistic in the ability of the crews to safely arrive in Havana," the statement continued.

Earlier Humanitarian Mission

Earlier in the week, the government in Havana publicly celebrated and warmly received a different ship that had transported 14 tons of humanitarian aid to the nation.

That vessel, dubbed "a modern Granma" in reference to the boat in which the revolutionary leader landed in Cuba to start the Cuban Revolution in the 1950s, carried solar equipment, pharmaceuticals, baby formula, bikes and provisions.

Wider Geopolitical Backdrop

Charity groups and individuals have been at the forefront of efforts to deliver essential supplies to Cuba since January, coinciding with the time a energy blockade on the country was initiated.

International organizations have since raised alarms about "dire" lack of essential goods, with in excess of fifty thousand operations called off in Cuba due to energy rationing.

Foreign policy pressure have been ramped up lately, with remarks from several leaders emphasizing the complicated situation regarding relations.

In response to certain statements, a senior government figure declared that "the governance model of Cuba is not up for negotiation."

Indications suggest that preliminary steps of discussions were initiated, although their present status remains unclear.

The naval forces said it was committed to using all of the resources at its disposal to locate the boats and secure the security of the people on board.

To date, there has been no public statement on the lost ships by the Cuban government.