The US Justice Department is preparing criminal charges against Raúl Castro, the former Cuban leader who ruled the island nation for 13 years until 2018. Prosecutors plan to file the indictment within days, with the case centered on Cuba's 1996 downing of two civilian aircraft operated by Brothers to the Rescue, a Miami-based exile group.
The two planes were shot down by Cuban military jets over international waters, killing four American citizens aboard. The incident escalated Cold War tensions and prompted Congress to pass the Helms-Burton Act, cementing the US embargo on Cuba. Castro has long claimed the aircraft violated Cuban airspace during a propaganda mission.
The timing reflects the Biden administration's hardline stance toward Havana, particularly as Cuba faces economic collapse and mass emigration. Senior Cuban officials have already faced US indictments tied to human-rights abuses and drug trafficking. Castro, now 93 and living in Havana, is unlikely to appear voluntarily for trial, but the charges carry symbolic weight in Miami's Cuban-American community, a politically influential voting bloc.
The decision to prosecute decades after the incident underscores Washington's commitment to accountability for the 1996 attack, an event that remains raw for exile communities. Castro's health has deteriorated in recent years, though he occasionally made public appearances before stepping down from power. His arrest remains improbable given US-Cuba diplomatic constraints, but the indictment sends a message about American resolve on this Cold War flashpoint.