The United States is reportedly considering criminal charges against former Cuban president Raúl Castro over the 1996 downing of aircraft operated by the exile humanitarian group Brothers to the Rescue.
According to reports, the potential indictment would focus on Cuba’s shooting down of two civilian planes nearly three decades ago, an incident that remains one of the most controversial moments in U.S.-Cuba relations. Any indictment would still require approval from a grand jury.
The move comes amid renewed pressure from the Trump administration on the Cuban government. President Donald Trump has threatened tariffs on countries exporting oil to Cuba, contributing to worsening fuel shortages across the island.
Raúl Castro, now 94, stepped down as leader of Cuba’s Communist Party in 2021 but continues to be viewed as a highly influential figure within the country’s political structure.
Reports of the possible indictment surfaced shortly after John Ratcliffe led a U.S. delegation to Havana on May 14 to deliver a message from President Trump to Cuban officials and Raúl Castro’s grandson, Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez Castro.
The 1996 incident involved the destruction of two aircraft belonging to Brothers to the Rescue, a Miami-based group known for humanitarian flights and opposition to the Cuban government. Four people were killed in the attack, and U.S. officials have continued to push for accountability decades later.
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