A Pair of Cuba-Headed Humanitarian Vessels Reported Missing following Leaving the Coast of Mexico.

A large-scale search and rescue operation is actively under way in the Caribbean region for a pair of lost sailboats carrying aid cargo en route from Mexico to Cuba.

Military Rescue Operations Deployed

Authorities in Mexico has deployed naval assets and military search aircraft to find the Friendship and Tigger Moth, which were carrying a minimum of nine crew members, per a military release.

The boats had been scheduled to reach Havana on Tuesday or Wednesday, but there has been radio silence from them and no confirmation of their arrival, authorities reported.

Context of Relief to Cuba

The Caribbean nation has depended significantly on humanitarian shipments from Mexico over the past few weeks, as the island struggles through widespread national electricity failures.

"The crews and captains are seasoned mariners, and the two ships are fitted with appropriate safety systems and communication devices," a representative involved in the effort said.

The nine-person crew are nationals of Poland, France, Cuba and the US. Mexico said it has opened communications with rescue coordination centers from each country along with their diplomatic representatives.

"Our team is working closely with the officials and are still optimistic in the crews' ability to make it to Cuba without incident," the official further stated.

Previous Humanitarian Mission

Earlier in the week, the government in Havana widely celebrated and greeted with fanfare another boat that had carried 14 tons of relief supplies to the island.

That ship, dubbed "a new Granma" in reference to the vessel in which Castro returned to Cuba to begin the revolution in the 1950s, brought solar panels, medicines, infant formula, bicycles and food.

Larger Geopolitical Climate

Charity groups and individuals have been at the forefront of initiatives to deliver essential supplies to Cuba beginning in January, when a energy blockade on the Communist-run nation was initiated.

International organizations have since raised alarms about ""severe" lack of essential goods, with in excess of fifty thousand operations cancelled in Cuba amid electricity supply constraints.

Political measures have been ramped up over the past months, with statements from different officials underscoring the complex situation regarding relations.

Responding to previous proposals, a high-ranking Cuban official declared that "the socialist system of Cuba is not subject to discussion."

Reports suggest that preliminary steps of talks had begun, although their present status remains not publicly known.

The naval forces affirmed it was committed to using every available asset at its disposal to locate the boats and secure the safety of the people on board.

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