Two Cuba-Destined Relief Ships Reported Missing following Departing Mexican Waters.

A extensive rescue and recovery mission is presently under way in the Caribbean Sea for two missing boats transporting humanitarian supplies journeying from the Mexican coast to Cuba.

Maritime Search Missions Initiated

The Mexican government has deployed naval assets and military search aircraft to search for the missing boats, which were transporting a minimum of nine total sailors, according to a navy statement.

The boats had been expected to make landfall in Cuba's capital on Tuesday or Wednesday, but there has been a complete lack of contact from them and no confirmation of their safe arrival, the navy said.

Background of Relief to the Island

The island nation has leaned on Mexico's over the last several weeks, as the country endures widespread power outages across the country.

"Both captains and crews are veteran seafarers, and the two ships are equipped with appropriate safety systems and emergency beacons," an official for the convoy said.

The nine-person crew are nationals of France, Poland, the United States, and Cuba. Mexico said it has established contact with coast guard agencies from each country along with their diplomatic representatives.

"Our team is co-operating fully with the authorities and continue to be hopeful in the crews' ability to make it to Cuba without incident," the official further stated.

Previous Relief Mission

Earlier in the week, the Cuban government publicly celebrated and warmly received a separate vessel that had carried a significant amount of relief supplies to the island.

That boat, nicknamed "Granma 2.0" in reference to the vessel in which the revolutionary leader returned to Cuba to start the revolution in the 1950s, carried solar panels, drugs, formula milk, cycles and provisions.

Larger Geopolitical Context

Non-governmental organizations and volunteers have been at the forefront of attempts to ship essential supplies to Cuba since January, coinciding with the time a oil sanctions on the Communist-run nation came into effect.

International organizations have since warned of ""severe" shortages of supplies, with more than 50,000 operations called off in Cuba because of electricity supply constraints.

Political tensions have intensified lately, with remarks from various leaders underscoring the complicated nature of bilateral relations.

In response to certain comments, a high-ranking Cuban official declared that "the governance model of Cuba is not up for negotiation."

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

The Mexican navy stated it was committed to using every available asset at its disposal to locate the sailboats and ensure the well-being of the crews.

As of now, there has been silence on the lost ships by the Cuban leadership.