The acting U.S. Attorney General, Todd Blanche, reaffirmed this Thursday the determination of the Department of Justice to prosecute Raúl Castro Ruz and dismissed the idea that the formal charges against the former Cuban dictator are merely a political gesture.
"We didn’t do this for a charge of exhibitionism. We did it because we really need Castro here... and we will do everything possible to bring him here," Blanche stated.
The official was explicit about the purpose of the process: "The reason we charge someone is because we want them here to face justice before a jury of their peers."
Blanche added that the government hopes Castro will arrive "of his own accord or by other means," a warning that underscores that Washington is not ruling out any option to achieve his appearance.
The indictment against Raúl Castro was approved by a federal grand jury in the Southern District of Florida on April 23, 2026 and publicly declassified on May 20 at the Freedom Tower in Miami.
The charges include conspiracy to assassinate U.S. citizens, two counts of destruction of aircraft, and four counts of murder for the deaths of Armando Alejandre Jr., Carlos Costa, Mario de la Peña, and Pablo Morales, all U.S. citizens or nationals.
The charges of murder and conspiracy carry a maximum penalty of death or life imprisonment.
The case originates from the shootdown of two Cessna 337 aircraft belonging to the organization Hermanos al Rescate on February 24, 1996, when Cuban military jets fired air-to-air missiles at the planes over international waters in the Florida Strait.
Alongside Castro Ruz, five former Cuban military personnel were accused: Lorenzo Alberto Pérez-Pérez, Emilio José Palacio Blanco, José Fidel Gual Barzaga, Raúl Simanca Cárdenas, and Luis Raúl González-Pardo Rodríguez.
This last point is a central piece of the case: the Cuban ex-pilot imprisoned in the U.S. could be a key witness after being arrested in November 2025 for concealing his military history while applying for residency and pleading guilty in January 2026. His sentencing was scheduled for this Thursday in Jacksonville, Florida.
The Cuban regime reacted with rejection. Miguel Díaz-Canel described the accusation as "a political act, without any legal basis" and proclaimed: "The General of the Army is Cuba, and Cuba must be respected."
Prime Minister Manuel Marrero called it a "farce," while in Havana, protests were organized in front of the U.S. embassy in support of the former dictator, amid the worst economic crisis the island has faced in decades.
Cuba does not have an extradition treaty with the United States, which makes Castro's appearance before the courts uncertain, although Blanche had already warned on May 20: "If you kill Americans, we will pursue you."
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