Two Separate Cuba-Destined Aid Sailboats Declared Missing following Leaving Mexico.

A extensive rescue and recovery mission is actively under way in the Caribbean region for a pair of missing sailboats loaded with humanitarian supplies traveling from Mexico to Havana.

Military Search Efforts Deployed

The Mexican government has deployed naval assets and military search aircraft to search for the Friendship and Tigger Moth, which were carrying a minimum of nine personnel, according to a official statement.

The ships had been scheduled to make landfall in Havana on the early part of the week, but there has been radio silence from them and no confirmation of their arrival, the statement clarified.

The Situation of Relief to the Nation

Cuba has leaned on Mexico's over recent weeks, as the country struggles through multiple national electricity failures.

"Both crews and captains are veteran seafarers, and both vessels are fitted with proper safety equipment and emergency beacons," a representative associated with the mission said.

The nine crew members are from France, Poland, the United States, and Cuba. Officials said it has established contact with rescue coordination centers from each country along with their consular staff.

"We are co-operating fully with the authorities and continue to be hopeful in the crews' ability to safely arrive in Havana," the statement continued.

Earlier Humanitarian Shipment

Earlier in the week, the Cuban authorities warmly welcomed and officially received a separate vessel that had delivered a significant amount of humanitarian aid to the island.

That ship, called "a new Granma" following the name of the yacht in which Fidel Castro landed in Cuba to begin the revolution in the 1950s, carried solar panels, pharmaceuticals, infant formula, bicycles and provisions.

Wider Political Backdrop

Volunteers and NGOs have been at the forefront of attempts to deliver critical assistance to Cuba beginning in January, coinciding with the time a energy blockade on the Communist-run nation came into effect.

International organizations have since highlighted ""severe" supply shortages, with over 50,000 surgical procedures called off in Cuba because of energy rationing.

Foreign policy measures have increased over the past months, with remarks from several officials highlighting the complex situation regarding bilateral relations.

Reacting to previous proposals, a senior official from Cuba stated firmly that "the socialist system of Cuba is not up for negotiation."

Accounts suggest that initial phases of negotiations had begun, although their ongoing development remains not publicly known.

The naval forces stated it was pledged to using the full extent of its capabilities at its reach to locate the boats and ensure the security of the crews.

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