Two Cuba-Destined Aid Sailboats Declared Unaccounted For following Setting Sail from the Coast of Mexico.

A extensive rescue and recovery mission is currently under way in the Caribbean waters for a pair of missing boats carrying aid cargo en route from Mexico to Havana.

Military Search Missions Initiated

Mexico has dispatched naval assets and military search aircraft to locate the two vessels, which were transporting no fewer than nine crew members, 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 zero verification of their safe arrival, the navy said.

Background of Relief to Cuba

Cuba has depended significantly on aid convoys from Mexico over the past few weeks, as the country grapples with repeated power outages across the country.

"The skippers and their teams are experienced sailors, and the two ships are outfitted with appropriate safety equipment and signalling equipment," a spokesperson for the convoy commented.

The nine individuals on board are from Poland, France, Cuba and the US. Officials said it has opened communications with rescue coordination centers from those nations along with their diplomatic representatives.

"We are co-operating fully with the officials and remain confident in the ability of the crews to make it to Cuba without incident," the spokesperson added.

Recent Relief Mission

Earlier in the week, the government in Havana widely celebrated and officially received a separate vessel that had carried 14 tonnes of relief supplies to the island.

That ship, nicknamed "a new Granma" in reference to the vessel in which Castro came back to Cuba to start the revolution in the 1950s, delivered photovoltaic panels, drugs, baby formula, bikes and food.

Broader Political Backdrop

Non-governmental organizations and volunteers have been at the forefront of attempts to bring critical assistance to Cuba starting at the turn of the year, a period which saw a fuel embargo on the country began.

International organizations have since highlighted ""severe" supply shortages, with in excess of 50,000 surgical procedures called off in Cuba amid electricity supply constraints.

Political pressure have been ramped up lately, with statements from various leaders highlighting the complex state of relations.

In response to recent comments, a senior Cuban official declared that "the governance model of Cuba is not subject to discussion."

Accounts suggest that preliminary steps of discussions had begun, although their current progress remains not publicly known.

The maritime authorities stated it was pledged to using every available asset at its disposal to find the sailboats and ensure the security of the sailors.

As of now, there has been silence on the lost ships by the government in Havana.