Two Cuba-Destined Relief Ships Declared Unaccounted For after Departing the Coast of Mexico.

A large-scale search and rescue operation is presently under way in the Caribbean Sea for two missing boats loaded with humanitarian supplies traveling from Mexico to the island of Cuba.

Naval Rescue Missions Deployed

The Mexican government has sent naval teams and military search aircraft to search for the Friendship and Tigger Moth, which were carrying a minimum of nine total crew members, according to a military release.

The ships had been expected to make landfall in Cuba's capital on either Tuesday or Wednesday, but there has been radio silence from them and no confirmation of their docking, the statement clarified.

Context of Humanitarian Support to Cuba

The island nation has relied heavily on humanitarian shipments from Mexico over recent weeks, as the country grapples with widespread power outages across the country.

"The captains and crews are seasoned mariners, and each boat are outfitted with appropriate navigational gear and emergency beacons," an official involved in the effort commented.

The nine individuals on board are citizens of the United States, Cuba, France, and Poland. Mexico said it has been in touch with coast guard agencies from the involved countries along with their consular staff.

"Our team is co-operating fully with the relevant authorities and continue to be hopeful in the ability of the crews to make it to Cuba without incident," the spokesperson added.

Earlier Relief Mission

Previously that week, the government in Havana publicly celebrated and warmly received a separate vessel that had delivered 14 tonnes of relief supplies to the island.

That vessel, nicknamed "Granma 2.0" in reference to the vessel in which Castro came back to Cuba to launch the Cuban Revolution in the 1950s, brought photovoltaic panels, medicines, baby formula, bicycles and food.

Broader Political Backdrop

Volunteers and NGOs have largely spearheaded efforts to deliver humanitarian aid to Cuba since January, when a fuel embargo on the island nation came into effect.

International organizations have since warned of ""critical" supply shortages, with in excess of fifty thousand surgical procedures called off in Cuba due to electricity supply constraints.

Foreign policy measures have been ramped up over the past months, with statements from several officials emphasizing the delicate nature of diplomatic ties.

Reacting to certain statements, a high-ranking government figure declared that "the political system of Cuba is not up for negotiation."

Reports suggest that preliminary steps of negotiations had begun, although their current progress remains uncertain.

The naval forces affirmed it was committed to using every available asset at its reach to discover the vessels and guarantee the well-being of the people on board.

As of now, there has been no official comment on the disappeared vessels by the Cuban government.