The United States plans to indict former Cuban President Raul Castro next Wednesday, according to a U.S. Department of Justice official who spoke on condition of anonymity. The potential charges focus on the downing of aircraft and relate specifically to the 1996 shootdown of planes operated by the humanitarian group Brothers to the Rescue.
Key Takeaways
The U.S. plans to indict former Cuban President Raul Castro for his role in the 1996 shootdown of planes operated by Brothers to the Rescue. The announcement is expected next Wednesday, escalating tensions between the U.S. and Cuba.
- Indictment against Raul Castro planned for May 20 in Miami
- Charges relate to the 1996 shootdown of two small planes, killing four Cuban exiles
- U.S. and Cuba dispute whether the incident occurred over international waters or Cuban airspace
- Trump administration seeks regime change in Cuba amid escalating tensions
The indictment is expected to be unsealed in Miami on May 20, based on a 1996 incident in which Cuban jets shot down two small planes flown by Brothers to the Rescue. All four men aboard were killed. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida will host an event that day to honor victims of the incident.
The timing of the indictment, which would need grand jury approval, remains imminent but is described as imminent. The move comes amid escalating tensions between the U.S. and Cuba, with President Donald Trump's administration imposing a blockade on the island by threatening sanctions against countries supplying fuel to Cuba. This has resulted in power outages and significant economic blows to the Cuban economy.
The 1996 incident involved Cuban jets shooting down two small planes flown by Brothers to the Rescue, a group of Cuban exile pilots searching for rafters fleeing Cuba. The U.S. maintains that the shootdown occurred over international waters, while Cuba claims the planes were in Cuban airspace. The International Civil Aviation Organization later backed the U.S. position.
The Trump administration has described Cuba's current communist-run government as corrupt and incompetent and is pushing for a regime change. President Donald Trump has heaped pressure on the island, effectively imposing a blockade by threatening sanctions on countries supplying it with fuel, igniting power outages and delivering blows to its economy. CIA chief John Ratcliffe offered $100 million in humanitarian assistance contingent on Cuba making 'fundamental changes.'
Indicting Castro would mark a significant escalation in U.S.-Cuba relations, which have deteriorated since Trump took office for his second term in 2025. The nation of 11 million people has faced severe fuel shortages and blackouts, with Energy Minister Vicente de la O Levy confirming on Thursday that the country had completely run out of diesel and fuel oil.
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