The US Department of Justice unsealed a criminal indictment against 94-year-old former Cuban President Raúl Castro on murder charges linked to a 1996 shootdown of civilian planes. This legal action unfolds during a wider economic and diplomatic blockade by the US administration targeting the island nation. An arrest warrant has been formally issued by a Florida federal court.
Acting US Attorney General Todd Blanche announced the indictment following an investigation into the February 24, 1996, incident. Four people died when Cuban military MiG fighter jets shot down two unarmed Cessna aircraft operated by the Miami-based humanitarian group Brothers to the Rescue. A report by AP News confirmed the unsealing of the charges alongside a public message from US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel rejected the indictment. He stated on social media that the prosecution is a political move with no legal basis designed to justify future military aggression against the island. According to the Hindustan Times, Díaz-Canel accused Washington of manufacturing a legal file to escalate bilateral hostility.
The ongoing legal actions follow previous diplomatic friction where the US demands Cuba president resign to initiate bilateral trade talks. US officials previously increased diplomatic pressure on the Cuban government when CIA Director John Ratcliffe visited Havana to demand the removal of Chinese and Russian intelligence assets from the island. This occurred alongside strict US enforcement of a fuel blockade that has caused 20-to-22-hour daily electrical blackouts across Havana.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio released a Spanish-language video addressing the Cuban public, encouraging a transition to a free-market economy and new leadership. In Havana, citizens expressed concern to international reporters that the legal escalation will worsen the domestic economic crisis without resolving long-standing political disputes. Former diplomats told the Times of India that the legal move threatens to sever the remaining channels of communication between the two nations.
A federal judge issued the arrest warrant for the former leader, though US officials acknowledge that Cuba does not extradite its citizens to foreign jurisdictions. Castro has not made a public appearance to address the specific criminal charges filed in the Florida district court.