Florida Governor Ron DeSantis expressed regret that Fidel Castro died without facing justice and voiced his support for the idea that his brother, Raúl Castro, should appear in U.S. courts for the downing of the Brothers to the Rescue aircraft in 1996.
"I am also eager to see that justice. It is delayed justice, and I hope it is not denied justice. But both Raúl and Fidel should have faced justice. That was a missed opportunity," said DeSantis this Wednesday during an event at the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office.
The governor responded to a question from journalist Iván Kasanzew, from Martí Noticias, about what message he would send to Cubans and Cuban Americans who are hoping to see Raúl Castro face U.S. justice.
The statements, reported in a video released by that media outlet, came two days after Florida's Attorney General, James Uthmeier, announced a state arrest warrant against Raúl Castro, 95 years old, for conspiracy to commit first-degree murder.
The accusation is related to the shooting down of two civilian aircraft from Brothers to the Rescue on February 24, 1996, when Cuban Air Force fighters attacked the planes over international waters in the Florida Straits.
In the attack, Armando Alejandre Jr., Carlos Costa, Mario de la Peña, and Pablo Morales were killed, and their bodies were never recovered.
DeSantis asserts that a free Cuba could thrive
During his speech, DeSantis also discussed the economic and tourism potential of Cuba, drawing from his experience as a U.S. Navy officer stationed at the Guantanamo naval base.
"An incredible coastline, an incredible topography. If you had a free Cuba, it would thrive," stated the governor, who asserted that the island could become the most successful country in the Caribbean if there were freedoms and the rule of law.
In his view, decades of totalitarian governance have stifled the country's innovation and development, a situation for which he also held Raúl Castro accountable.
"Raúl Castro has been there at every step of the way," he said.
DeSantis finally reiterated his support for the legal action against the former Cuban leader: "I would love to see him face justice. I'm glad the attorney general has done that."
The state order signed on October 16 by Judge Ariana Fajardo Orshan adds to a federal indictment filed in May 2026 against Castro and five other former Cuban military personnel for their alleged involvement in the attack.
Both cases remain pending judicial resolution, and the accused retain the presumption of innocence. Raúl Castro's continued presence in Cuba complicates his appearance before U.S. courts, more than three decades after the downing of the aircraft.
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