Two Cuba-bound Relief Vessels Declared Missing after Departing Mexican Waters.

A comprehensive search and rescue operation is presently under way in the Caribbean waters for two missing sailboats carrying aid cargo traveling from the Mexican coast to Havana.

Naval Rescue Missions Deployed

Authorities in Mexico has dispatched naval assets and search planes to search for the Friendship and Tigger Moth, which were transporting at least nine sailors, according to a official statement.

The ships had been scheduled to make landfall in Cuba's capital on either Tuesday or Wednesday, but there has been no communication from them and no official word of their docking, the navy said.

The Situation of Relief to the Nation

Cuba has leaned on humanitarian shipments from Mexico over the past few weeks, as the nation grapples with repeated power outages across the country.

"The captains and crews are seasoned mariners, and each boat are equipped with proper navigational gear and communication devices," a spokesperson involved in the effort said.

The nine crew members are citizens of Poland, France, Cuba and the US. Officials said it has opened communications with coast guard agencies from the involved countries along with their embassy officials.

"We are collaborating completely with the relevant authorities and continue to be hopeful in the capability of the sailors to make it to Cuba without incident," the official further stated.

Previous Humanitarian Mission

Previously that week, the Cuban government widely celebrated and warmly received a different ship that had delivered 14 tons of donated goods to the nation.

That boat, dubbed "a new Granma" in reference to the boat in which the revolutionary leader returned to Cuba to begin the armed struggle in the 1950s, carried solar panels, medicines, formula milk, bikes and food.

Larger International Backdrop

Charity groups and individuals have been at the forefront of initiatives to ship critical assistance to Cuba beginning in January, when a fuel embargo on the country began.

International organizations have since warned of ""critical" lack of essential goods, with over 50k surgical procedures postponed in Cuba amid energy rationing.

Political pressure have intensified over the past months, with comments from different officials emphasizing the complicated state of relations.

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

Indications suggest that preliminary steps of negotiations commenced, although their ongoing development remains uncertain.

The naval forces affirmed it was dedicated to using the full extent of its capabilities at its disposal to locate the boats and ensure the well-being of the sailors.

As of now, there has been no official comment on the lost ships by the Cuban leadership.