Florida state authorities have issued an arrest warrant for Raul Castro, the 95-year-old former president of Cuba, in connection with a 1996 incident involving the downing of two aircraft. State Attorney General James Uthmeier announced the warrant on Monday, stating that Castro faces state-level charges of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder. The charges stem from allegations that Castro ordered the shooting down of two small twin-engine planes affiliated with Brothers to the Rescue, a Florida-based organization that assists Cubans attempting to flee the island nation.
The aircraft were shot down on February 24, 1996, resulting in four fatalities. US authorities contend that the planes were flying over international waters and were not warned before being attacked. Uthmeier emphasized in a statement that the warrant represents necessary accountability for the victims, naming them as Carlos Costa, Pablo Morales, Mario de la Pena, and Armando Alejandre Jr. Cuban officials have presented a different account, arguing that previous flights by Brothers to the Rescue had violated Cuban airspace despite warnings to remain clear of Cuban territory.
At the time of the incident, Castro served as Cuba’s defence minister and was a prominent figure within the Communist Party. He later assumed the presidency in 2008, succeeding his brother Fidel Castro, and remained in that position until his retirement in 2018. Despite stepping down from the presidency, Castro and his family maintain significant influence within Cuba’s government structure.
The arrest warrant arrives amid intensified pressure from the current US administration targeting Cuba’s leadership. Earlier this year, the Trump administration issued a federal superseding indictment also charging Castro with crimes including conspiracy to kill US nationals, destroying aircraft, and four counts of murder. Federal prosecutors have signaled their support for the state-level charges, indicating that both parallel federal and state prosecutions will proceed against Castro.
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