The United States is reportedly moving toward indicting 94-year-old former Cuban president Raúl Castro in connection with the 1996 downing of planes operated by a Cuban exile group, media sources say.
The potential indictment is linked to the shooting down of two Cessna aircraft belonging to Miami-based group *Brothers to the Rescue*. The incident occurred on February 24, 1996, off the Cuban coast. While Havana claimed the planes had violated Cuban airspace, the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) determined the aircraft were over international waters. Three U.S. citizens were among the victims.
U.S. lawmakers have long called for Castro to be held accountable. Media reports suggest Congress members believe Castro ordered the shootdown while serving as Cuba’s defense minister. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis publicly supported the move, stating on X: “Let ‘er rip, it’s been a long time coming!”
Castro stepped down as president in 2018 and left his post as head of the Communist Party in 2021. Although no longer active in day-to-day politics, he remains influential as a key adviser to President Miguel Díaz-Canel and maintains strong ties within Cuba’s military establishment.
Relations between the United States and Cuba have remained tense since the 1959 revolution and worsened following policy shifts during the Trump administration. In January 2025, President Trump returned Cuba to the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism, further straining ties.
If the U.S. proceeds with an indictment, it would typically require approval from a grand jury, marking a significant step in the long-running legal and political dispute surrounding the 1996 incident.
