The United States Department of Justice filed federal criminal charges this Wednesday against former Cuban president Raúl Castro for the shooting down of two civilian aircraft belonging to the organization Hermanos al Rescate on February 24, 1996, an incident that resulted in four deaths and remained without judicial response for three decades.
The accusation was announced by acting Attorney General Todd Blanche at the Tower of Freedom in Miami, a symbol of the Cuban exile. The charges include conspiracy to assassinate U.S. citizens, destruction of aircraft, and four individual counts of murder.
"Today we are announcing a formal charge against Raúl Castro and several others for conspiracy to murder American citizens. Mr. Castro and the other defendants also face additional charges, including destruction of aircraft and four counts of murder," stated Blanche.
The prosecutor also specified that the charges were presented by a grand jury convened in Miami on April 23, 2026, and declassified this Wednesday. "For almost 30 years, the families of four murdered Americans have been waiting for justice," he stated.
The case was filed in the Federal Court for the Southern District of Florida under the number 03-20685-CR-SEITZ and also includes five other Cuban military personnel: Lorenzo Alberto Pérez Pérez, Emilio José Palacio Blanco, José Fidel Gual Bárzaga, Raúl Simanca Cárdenas, and Luis Raúl González-Pardo Rodríguez.
The victims were Armando Alejandre Jr., Carlos Costa, Mario Manuel de la Peña, and Pablo Morales, all residents of Miami. Three were U.S. citizens and one was a legal resident. Their bodies were never recovered.
The two disarmed Cessna aircraft were shot down by MiG-29 fighters of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Cuba over international waters in the Florida Straits while they were conducting search and rescue operations for Cuban rafters.
At that time, Raúl Castro held the position of Minister of the Revolutionary Armed Forces, placing him at the top of the Cuban military chain of command.
The central piece of the accusation is an audio recording from June 1996 in which Castro describes the order he issued to carry out the attack. “I said to try to take them down over our territory, but they entered Havana and left... Well, take them down at sea when they show up; and do not consult those who have the authority,” can be heard in the recording.
The authenticity of the audio was verified by specialists and by Alcibíades Hidalgo, former personal secretary to Castro. The recording was published in 2006 by journalist Wilfredo Cancio Isla in El Nuevo Herald.
In addition, there are more than 10,000 pages of declassified FBI documents revealing the existence of an "Operation Venice," allegedly planned since February 13, 1996, which, according to the accusation, would demonstrate the premeditation of the attack.
Blanche summarized the U.S. government's position with a blunt phrase: "If you kill Americans, we will pursue you."
President Donald Trump also reacted to the announcement, stating that “the United States will not tolerate a rogue state harboring military, intelligence, and terrorist operations hostile to just ninety miles from U.S. territory.”
Congressman Mario Díaz-Balart, who formally requested the Department of Justice to charge Castro in February 2026, described the downing of the planes as “premeditated murders” and recalled the existence of the audio in which the former Cuban leader acknowledges having ordered the attack.
Congresswoman María Elvira Salazar celebrated the accusation with a powerful message: “It is a glorious day for Cubans” and “Today marks the beginning of the end for the Castro family.”
José Basulto, founder of Brothers to the Rescue and a survivor of the attack after managing to escape in another plane, reacted emotionally to the announcement. "I have wished for this for a long time. I have wished for justice to be served, for justice to become a reality," he expressed.
The Cuban regime immediately rejected the accusations. Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez described Secretary of State Marco Rubio as a "spokesman for corrupt and vindictive interests," while the Cuban Embassy in the United States labeled the legal proceedings a "deception."
The accusation comes amid the maximum pressure policy promoted by the Trump administration, which since January 2026 has imposed more than 240 new sanctions against Havana and a petroleum blockade that has reduced fuel imports to the island by 80% to 90%.
However, the practical scope of the process is limited. Raúl Castro, 94 years old, has never set foot on U.S. soil, and there is no extradition treaty between Cuba and the United States. Nevertheless, Congressman Carlos Giménez called for him to be brought to American soil to face justice, comparing the case to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in Caracas during a military operation authorized by Trump.
Filed under: