The U.S. Department of Justice has unsealed a federal indictment charging 94-year-old former Cuban President Raúl Castro, and five former Cuban military officers for the 1996 downing of two civilian aircraft operated by the Miami-based Brothers to the Rescue group.
The charges, announced on May 20 in Miami, include conspiracy to murder U.S. citizens, four counts of homicide, and destruction of aircraft. U.S. prosecutors allege that Cuban MiG-29 fighter jets shot down the unarmed aircraft over international waters in the Florida Straits, killing three U.S. citizens and one legal resident during a humanitarian mission to locate Cuban migrants at sea.
Authorities claim that Castro, who was Cuba's defense minister at the time, authorized or played a key role in approving the military operation. The indictment also names five former Cuban officials accused of direct involvement in planning and carrying out the attack, which subsequently triggered a diplomatic crisis between Washington and Havana and strengthened U.S. sanctions against Cuba.
President Donald Trump described the indictment as ‘a very big day for justice,’ stating that it represents an important step toward accountability for the victims and reaffirming that the United States ‘will never forget Americans killed abroad.’He also framed the move as part of continued pressure on the Cuban government, while expressing his support for the Cuban-American community in Florida.
Cuba has rejected the indictment, calling it politically motivated and without legal basis. Despite its symbolic weight, legal analysts note that extradition remains highly unlikely, meaning the case is expected to have a significant diplomatic and political impact rather than immediate legal consequences.