The U.S. Justice Department has charged former Cuban President Raul Castro with murder over the 1996 shootdown of two humanitarian planes operated by the Miami-based group Brothers to the Rescue.
The newly unsealed indictment accuses Castro of conspiracy to kill U.S. nationals, destruction of aircraft, and murder in connection with the deaths of four men, including three American citizens. The planes were shot down over the Florida Straits during rescue missions for Cuban migrants.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche announced the charges in Miami, calling the case a major step toward accountability for attacks on Americans abroad.
Cuba’s government strongly rejected the indictment. President Miguel Díaz-Canel described the case as politically motivated, while Cuban officials argued the 1996 operation was carried out in “legitimate defense.”
The indictment marks one of the highest-profile U.S. legal actions ever taken against senior Cuban leadership.
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