The United States Justice Department has formally indicted former Cuban President Raúl Castro on charges of murder in connection with the 1996 shooting down of two civilian aircraft operated by the Cuban exile group Brothers to the Rescue.
At the time of the incident, Raúl Castro served as Cuba's defense minister, the second-highest position in the country under his brother Fidel Castro. On February 24, 1996, Cuban fighter jets shot down two light aircraft belonging to the Miami-based organization near Cuban airspace, resulting in the deaths of all four crew members aboard. The indictment alleges that Raúl Castro approved the mission to attack the planes.
Brothers to the Rescue was founded by José Basulto and initially established to assist Cuban refugees attempting to reach the United States across the Florida Straits. The group began operations in 1980 during the Mariel boatlift, when approximately 125,000 Cubans emigrated to the US unexpectedly. Their activities included dropping supplies to refugees in boats and alerting the US Coast Guard to their locations, often involving flights into Cuban airspace.
The indictment comes amid a renewed pressure campaign by the Trump administration aimed at regime change in Cuba. The Castro brothers' communist government has been in power since Fidel Castro led the Cuban Revolution in 1959. The legal action represents a significant escalation in US-Cuba tensions, reviving a decades-old incident that has long been a point of contention between the two nations.
The case is expected to draw international attention and could further strain relations, as the US seeks to hold the former Cuban leader accountable for the attack. The indictment also underscores the ongoing legal and political battles surrounding the incident, which has remained unresolved in the eyes of many Cuban exiles and US officials.
