A federal indictment charging Raúl Castro with the murders of four people in the 1996 shootdown of two Brothers to the Rescue planes was unsealed Wednesday in Miami, according to court documents and news reports. The indictment, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, alleges Castro was responsible for the deaths of the four civilian pilots, who were shot down by Cuban fighter jets on February 24, 1996, while searching for Cuban rafters in the Florida Straits.
The unsealing coincided with a symbolic event at Miami's Freedom Tower, marking Cuba's independence day. The indictment had been expected for weeks, following a push by Cuban-American lawmakers and victims' families. The U.S. Department of Justice has not commented on the timing, but the move is seen as a significant escalation in legal actions against the former Cuban president.
The shootdown occurred when two Cessna 337s operated by Brothers to the Rescue, a humanitarian group, were intercepted and shot down by Cuban MiG-29s. The four victims—Carlos Costa, Pablo Morales, Armando Alejandre Jr., and Mario de la Peña—were killed. The incident led to a U.S. embargo tightening and remains a flashpoint in U.S.-Cuba relations.
Raúl Castro, who served as Cuba's president from 2008 to 2021, has not been arrested and remains in Cuba. The indictment is largely symbolic, as the U.S. has no extradition treaty with Cuba. However, it could affect any future travel by Castro to countries with extradition agreements with the U.S.
The case is being handled by the U.S. Attorney's Office in Miami. No court date has been set, and Castro has not responded to the charges. The indictment is part of a broader effort by U.S. authorities to hold former Cuban officials accountable for human rights abuses.
