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The Democratic congressman Gregory W. Meeks, the senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, warned on Wednesday that the formal indictment against Raúl Castro presented by the Department of Justice "seems less like a pursuit of justice and more like a pretext for escalation, potentially even an illegal invasion of Cuba."
The statement came hours after the Department of Justice declassified and publicly announced criminal charges against the 94-year-old former Cuban leader during an event held at the Freedom Tower in Miami, coinciding with Cuba's Independence Day. The federal grand jury in Miami had issued the indictment on April 23, but it was declassified yesterday.
Meeks acknowledged in his statement that Castro "must be held accountable for the murder of Americans in international waters," referring to the shooting down of two planes belonging to the organization Hermanos al Rescate on February 24, 1996, which resulted in the deaths of four Cuban Americans: Armando Alejandre Jr., Carlos Costa, Mario de la Peña, and Pablo Morales.
However, the Democratic lawmaker warned that "there is no military solution" and that "no amount of sanctions will bring a better future for the Cuban people."
Meeks also demanded an end to what he termed the "oil blockade" imposed by the Trump administration, which he blamed for "aggravating the suffering of the Cuban people, plunging hospitals, homes, and private businesses into darkness."
Executive Order 14380, signed on January 29, 2026, reduced oil imports from Cuba by between 80% and 90%, causing blackouts of up to 25 hours a day in more than 55% of the island's territory.
The congressman also urged the Trump administration to work with Congress to "reform the failed and draconian sanctions regime that has prevented successive administrations from negotiating a meaningful opening with the island."
The charges against Raúl Castro include conspiracy to assassinate American citizens, destruction of aircraft, and four individual counts of crime. Alongside him, five Cuban military officers were also charged: Lorenzo Alberto Pérez-Pérez, Emilio José Palacio Blanco, José Fidel Gual Barzaga, Raúl Simanca Cárdenas, and Luis Raúl González-Pardo Rodríguez.
The accusation is mainly considered symbolic since there is no extradition treaty between Cuba and the United States, and Castro has not set foot on American soil.
The reactions were mixed: President Donald Trump described the accusation as "a great day" for the Cuban American community, while Cuban American Congresswoman María Elvira Salazar stated that "today marks the beginning of the end for the Castro family."
From Havana, the dictator Miguel Díaz-Canel dismissed the accusation as a "political maneuver" without legal basis, and Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez described it as a "farce".
Meeks concluded his statement by saying that "the only way to foster real change is to empower the Cuban people themselves, not to insist on a failed approach that punishes them without making any progress."
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