On October 26, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced that an arrest warrant had been issued for Raul Castro, 95, the former leader of Cuba, on criminal charges tied to his alleged role in ordering the 1996 shootdown of two unarmed aircraft.
According to Uthmeier, the warrant rests on state-level charges of first-degree conspiracy to commit murder. The two small twin-engine planes, belonging to Brothers to the Rescue — a Florida-based organization that helps Cuban migrants — were shot down over international waters, killing four people.
"Raul Castro cold-bloodedly ordered the murder of four Florida residents, and Florida will not stop pursuing accountability for that communist conspiracy," Uthmeier said in a statement, naming the four victims: Carlos Costa, Pablo Morales, Mario de la Pena and Armando Alejandre Jr.
The incident occurred on February 24, 1996. The United States maintains that the two aircraft were flying over international waters and received no warning before being shot down. Cuban officials have argued that earlier Brothers to the Rescue flights had violated Cuban airspace despite warnings.
At the time of the attack, Raul Castro served as Cuba's defense minister. A central figure in the Communist Party of Cuba, he later became president in 2008, succeeding his late brother Fidel Castro. Although he stepped down as president in 2018, Raul Castro and his family are still widely seen as highly influential figures in the Cuban government.
Florida's warrant reflects a new escalation in Washington's push to pressure Havana. In May, the administration of President Donald Trump announced a federal indictment against Raul Castro on charges including conspiracy to kill U.S. citizens, destruction of aircraft and four counts of murder.
The same day, the U.S. government issued a statement supporting Florida's action. Federal prosecutor Jason Reding Quinones said: "We are committed to pursuing every lawful avenue of prosecution to force accountability, including parallel prosecutions at the federal and state levels. Our historic federal indictment laid the groundwork, and James Uthmeier and his team have taken the important step of bringing charges under Florida law."
Since the start of the year, the Trump administration has signaled a desire for regime change in Cuba. Washington has tightened restrictions, including imposing a de facto energy blockade in January. By threatening steep tariffs on any country that supplies oil to Cuba, the United States has effectively blocked fuel exports to the island, according to experts. That has worsened conditions in Cuba and added strain to its already fragile power system, which depends heavily on fossil fuels, while only 40% of Cuba's oil needs are produced domestically. Additional sanctions have also been imposed on Cuba's economy and state industries.
Trump has previously used indictments to justify military campaigns against leaders of governments hostile to the United States, including former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
