Federal prosecutors in the United States have announced criminal charges against former Cuban president Raúl Castro over the 1996 downing of civilian aircraft operated by a Miami-based exile group, in a move that significantly escalates tensions between Washington and Cuba.
The indictment accuses Castro, who was serving as Cuba’s defence minister at the time, of ordering the destruction of two unarmed civilian planes flown by the exile organisation Brothers to the Rescue.
The charges, reportedly filed secretly by a grand jury in April, include murder and destruction of an aircraft, while five Cuban military pilots were also indicted in connection with the incident.
The case relates to the events of February 24, 1996, when Cuban MiG-29 fighter jets shot down two Cessna aircraft north of Havana, killing all four men aboard. A third plane managed to escape.
US Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche described the victims as “unarmed civilians” carrying out humanitarian missions to assist people attempting to flee Cuba across the Florida Straits.
Blanche confirmed that an arrest warrant had been issued for Castro, stating that US authorities expected him to appear “by his own will or by another way.”
The announcement comes as President Donald Trump intensifies pressure on Cuba’s socialist government following the earlier capture of former Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro by US forces on separate drug-related charges.
Trump has repeatedly raised the possibility of regime change in Cuba in recent months, while his administration imposed measures that reportedly worsened fuel shortages and economic hardship on the island.
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel condemned the indictment, accusing Washington of exploiting the case to justify potential military aggression against Cuba.
In a social media statement, Díaz-Canel argued that Cuban authorities had repeatedly warned at the time that they would respond to what they considered dangerous violations of the country’s airspace.
The case has long remained a sensitive issue in US-Cuba relations, with previous investigations dating back to the 1990s. Earlier indictments targeted senior Cuban air force officials and pilots allegedly involved in the attack, though none were apprehended.
According to declassified US records cited in the report, the exile group had previously flown over Havana dropping anti-government leaflets despite warnings from both Cuban authorities and US aviation officials.
Although Raúl Castro formally stepped down from leadership positions in recent years, analysts believe he continues to wield influence behind the scenes within Cuba’s political establishment.
The indictment marks one of the most significant legal actions ever taken by the United States against a former Cuban leader and could further complicate already strained relations between the two countries.
