The Florida Attorney General, James Uthmeier, warned this Monday that Raúl Castro could be arrested and extradited to the United States if he travels to a country with extradition agreements, even if he is doing so to receive medical treatment.
"Raúl Castro does not have the pleasure of simply leaving his country and moving freely. If he ends up in a friendly country with extradition agreements, for any reason, he will end up here. He cannot go there even to receive medical treatment," Uthmeier stated during a press conference at Florida International University (FIU) in Miami.
The warning comes after the state prosecutor obtained an arrest warrant for the 95-year-old former Cuban leader on charges of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, related to the shootdown of two planes from Brothers to the Rescue in 1996.
The order was signed on October 16 by Judge Ariana Fajardo Orshan of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Florida, with no right to bail.
According to the Public Prosecutor's Office, Castro, then Minister of the Revolutionary Armed Forces, gave direct instructions to shoot down the aircraft: "Take them down over the sea when they appear; and do not consult with those who have the authority."
The investigation also indicates that members of the so-called Red Avispa, who operated in Florida, infiltrated Brothers to the Rescue and collected information about their flights to facilitate the Cuban military operation.
On February 24, 1996, Cuban MiG fighters shot down two unarmed civilian aircraft over international waters, resulting in the deaths of Carlos Costa, Pablo Morales, Mario de la Peña, and Armando Alejandre Jr. Their bodies were never recovered.
Uthmeier emphasized another consequence of the new legal action: no president of the United States has the authority to grant pardons for state crimes in Florida, a fundamental difference compared to the federal process.
"If a communist supporter were to return to the White House, he cannot forgive, he cannot commute, he cannot immunize these dictators from our state procedures," he stated.
The measure adds to the federal charges made public in May 2026 against Castro and five other Cuban military personnel for their involvement in the attack. The charges include seven counts, although not all of the defendants face the same offenses.
Federal prosecutor Jason A. Reding Quiñones supported the state procedure, while Uthmeier stated that the investigation remains open and that new charges could be brought against other individuals involved.
"There can be no future for Cuba that involves the Castros, period," declared the Florida prosecutor.
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