U.S. Indicts Former Cuban President Raul Castro Over 1996 Shoot-Down of Civilian Planes
Theo Elizabeth Melimopoulos
The U.S. Justice Department has indicted former Cuban President Raul Castro for his role in the 1996 downing of two civilian planes operated by the Miami-based exile group Brothers to the Rescue, killing four people. The indictment, unsealed Wednesday, marks a major escalation in tensions between Washington and Havana. Analysts suggest the move is part of a broader U.S. pressure campaign amid Trump's falling approval ratings and midterm elections.
Federal prosecutors in the United States have indicted former Cuban President Raul Castro in connection with the 1996 shoot-down of planes belonging to the Miami-based exile group Brothers to the Rescue. The indictment was unsealed Wednesday, representing one of the sharpest escalations in tensions between Washington and Havana in years.
The U.S. Justice Department alleges that Castro, then Cuba's defense minister, played a leading role in the decision to send Cuban fighter jets to shoot down two civilian aircraft on February 24, 1996. He faces one count of conspiracy to kill U.S. nationals, four counts of murder, and two counts of destruction of aircraft.
Four people died in the 1996 attack, sparking international condemnation and deepening strains between the U.S. and Cuba. Brothers to the Rescue began operations in 1991 amid a wave of Cuban migration to the United States. Founded by former Cuban exile Jose Basulto, the group aimed to aid Cuban refugees crossing the Florida Straits by locating people on rafts and alerting the U.S. Coast Guard.
U.S. officials and international investigators have said the planes were attacked over international waters, while Cuba has maintained that the aircraft violated or approached Cuban airspace. The late President Fidel Castro later denied that he or Raul Castro gave a direct order to shoot down the planes.
Castro Indictment Adds Pressure on Havana
Orlando Perez, a political science professor at the University of North Texas in Dallas, said the timing of the indictment appears tied to a broader U.S. pressure campaign against Havana. “I think it's important to look at the chain of recent events,” Perez said.
He pointed to last week's visit to Havana by CIA Director John Ratcliffe. That meeting came amid ongoing negotiations between Cuba's communist government and the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, which has pushed for leadership change in Cuba. There have also been reports this month alleging that Cuba has explored drone capabilities and asymmetric warfare as Trump intensifies pressure on the island.
According to reports, Havana has considered drone attacks on the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay, U.S. Navy ships, and Key West, Florida, roughly 140 km from the Cuban coast. “Washington appears to be running two simultaneous tracks: a back-channel with the Castro family network, and a public pressure campaign,” Perez said. “An indictment against Raul Castro fits that architecture.”
Perez added that the prosecution could backfire, galvanizing support within Cuba's communist base rather than weakening it. “An indictment against Raul Castro strengthens the hardliners and gives them the narrative of being besieged that they have always relied on,” he said. “The Castro clan will not hand over Raul Castro. Raul Castro is the legal anchor of the regime.”
However, Perez suggested the Trump administration may have other motives for unveiling the indictment now. Trump's Republican Party faces a hotly contested midterm election in November, and Trump's approval ratings continue to slide. A Reuters/Ipsos poll this month showed support for Trump at its lowest since he returned to office, with only 34% of respondents satisfied with his performance.
Perez explained that the drop in Trump's polling stems from public backlash over the U.S.-Israel war in Iran and other issues. If Wednesday's indictment pushes the Cuban government toward some kind of compromise, the Trump administration could claim that outcome as a win. “Given the current situation he is suffering—very low approval ratings, the prospect of losing seats in the midterm election, and the Iran situation still severe and unresolved—I think the pressure campaign is ongoing and they hope it will lead to an acceptable deal,” Perez said, but added that such an outcome is unlikely. “I don't know if that is feasible.”
Castro, 94, succeeded his brother Fidel as president of Cuba in 2008. Though he formally stepped down as head of the Cuban Communist Party in 2021, he remains an influential figure in the country's political system. The Cuban government has not immediately commented on the indictment.
