Trump Moves to Indict Raúl Castro Over 1996 Shootdown

The Trump administration is expected to seek an indictment of former Cuban leader Raúl Castro over the 1996 shootdown of two civilian planes linked to the Miami-based exile group Brothers to the Rescue.

Fox News, citing sources familiar with the matter, reported that the indictment could be unsealed Wednesday. The Justice Department declined to confirm the report, saying it would not “comment on rumors.”

Any indictment would require approval from a federal grand jury.

A Justice Department press conference is scheduled in Miami on Wednesday in connection with a ceremony honoring the victims of the Brothers to the Rescue killings.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, U.S. Attorney Jason Reding Quiñones, FBI Deputy Director Christopher Raia, Sen. Ashley Moody and Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier are expected to attend.

On Feb. 24, 1996, Cuban fighter jets shot down two civilian aircraft operated by the exile group, killing four men. The United States has long said the planes were flying in international airspace. The incident became one of the most serious flashpoints in U.S.-Cuba relations.

Castro, 94, is the younger brother of Fidel Castro. He served as Cuba’s president from 2008 to 2018 and had earlier been defense minister.

The expected legal move comes as Washington intensifies pressure on Havana.

The Trump administration has imposed new sanctions on senior Cuban officials and state agencies, including the Interior Ministry, the National Revolutionary Police and the Directorate of Intelligence.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the measures were aimed at limiting the Cuban government’s ability to suppress its own people.

The New York Times reported that CIA Director John Ratcliffe recently visited Cuba and told officials that the United States was ready to discuss economic and security issues only if Havana made “fundamental changes.”

Trump has also publicly joked that the United States could “take over” Cuba “almost immediately.”