Raúl Castro to Be Indicted for 1996 Shootdown of American Civilians

Thirty years after Cuban fighter jets downed two civilian aircraft over international waters, the United States is expected to announce the indictment of former Cuban leader Raúl Castro in connection with the attack.

The Brothers to the Rescue shootdown killed four men over the Florida Straits in February 1996. Castro was serving as head of Cuba’s armed forces at the time.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, FBI Deputy Director Christopher Raia, Senator Ashley Moody, and Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier gathered Wednesday at Miami’s Freedom Tower — itself a symbol of Cuban exile history — for the announcement. A grand jury has returned an indictment after hearing evidence in the case.

The move comes amid escalating U.S.-Cuba tensions. The Trump administration this week sanctioned eleven Cuban officials tied to the regime’s security apparatus, and Cuba simultaneously passed sweeping new asset-freezing laws — rules critics warn will be used against political dissidents labeled “terrorists.”

“Pay attention to who gets targeted,” said former Treasury official Ambassador Marshall Billingslea, “because that is a signal as to who will not participate in any transitional process.”

For the families of the four victims, the indictment represents something simpler: closure, after three decades of waiting.