US Charges Raúl Castro Over 1996 Plane Shootdown

The United States has filed criminal charges against former Cuban leader Raúl Castro over the 1996 shooting down of two civilian aircraft belonging to the Cuban-American organisation Brothers to the Rescue.

The charges, announced on Wednesday, accuse Castro and five others of conspiracy to kill US nationals, destruction of aircraft and multiple counts of murder linked to the deaths of four men, including three Americans.

The victims were identified as Armando Alejandre Jr, Carlos Alberto Costa, Mario Manuel de la Peña and Pablo Morales.

At the time of the incident, Castro was head of Cuba’s armed forces. The aircraft were shot down over waters between Cuba and Florida, triggering widespread international condemnation.

Speaking in Miami at Freedom Tower, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said the case reflected the US government’s determination to pursue accountability decades after the incident.

“The United States, and President Trump, does not, and will not, forget its citizens,” Blanche said.

Some of the charges carry the possibility of life imprisonment, while the murder counts could potentially result in either life sentences or the death penalty if prosecuted successfully in a US court.

The move comes as Washington increases pressure on Cuba’s communist government amid longstanding tensions over political freedoms and economic reforms.

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel condemned the charges, calling them “a political manoeuvre, devoid of any legal foundation”.

Analysts say the charges form part of a broader US strategy aimed at intensifying pressure on Havana’s leadership.

William LeoGrande, a Latin America expert at American University, said the approach appeared designed to push Cuba toward concessions through mounting economic and political strain.

The US has maintained sanctions against Cuba and recently tightened restrictions affecting oil supplies to the island, contributing to ongoing blackouts and shortages of food and fuel.

Earlier on Wednesday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a message marking Cuba’s independence day, saying President Trump was offering “a new path between the US and a new Cuba”.

Rubio also accused the military-linked conglomerate GAESA of being largely responsible for Cuba’s worsening economic difficulties, including power outages and shortages.

GAESA controls major sectors of the Cuban economy, including ports, fuel distribution and luxury hotels.

In response, Díaz-Canel accused the United States of spreading misinformation and imposing collective punishment on the Cuban population.