Two Cuba-Headed Relief Ships Declared Unaccounted For after Setting Sail from Mexico.

A large-scale search and rescue mission is currently ongoing in the Caribbean waters for a pair of unlocated sailboats loaded with relief goods en route from the Mexican coast to Havana.

Military Search Missions Launched

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

The vessels had been expected to reach Havana on the early part of the week, but there has been radio silence from them and no official word of their docking, the statement clarified.

Background of Relief to Cuba

The Caribbean nation has leaned on aid convoys from Mexico over recent weeks, as the nation grapples with multiple nationwide blackouts.

"Both captains and crews are veteran seafarers, and both vessels are equipped with suitable navigational gear and emergency beacons," an official associated with the mission stated.

The nine crew members are citizens of Poland, France, Cuba and the US. Officials said it has established contact with rescue coordination centers from the involved countries along with their consular staff.

"We are collaborating completely with the officials and remain confident in the capability of the sailors to safely arrive in Havana," the statement continued.

Previous Aid Delivery

Earlier in the week, the government in Havana widely celebrated and officially received a separate vessel that had carried a significant amount of humanitarian aid to the island.

That boat, called "a modern Granma" in reference to the vessel in which the revolutionary leader landed in Cuba to start the Cuban Revolution in the mid-20th century, carried solar equipment, drugs, baby formula, bicycles and foodstuffs.

Wider International Backdrop

Non-governmental organizations and volunteers have primarily led attempts to bring critical assistance to Cuba since January, when a energy blockade on the Communist-run nation came into effect.

Global bodies have since raised alarms about ""severe" shortages of supplies, with more than 50k surgeries cancelled in Cuba due to electricity supply constraints.

Foreign policy pressure have been ramped up in recent months, with remarks from different representatives emphasizing the complicated nature of relations.

Responding to recent comments, a high-ranking Cuban official stated firmly that "the governance model of Cuba is not up for negotiation."

Indications suggest that initial phases of negotiations had begun, although their present status remains not publicly known.

The naval forces said it was committed to using the full extent of its capabilities at its reach to find the vessels and ensure the safety of the sailors.

To date, there has been silence on the lost ships by the Cuban government.