2 min readMay 15, 2026 06:07 PM IST
The United States is preparing to indict former Cuban President Raúl Castro over the 1996 shootdown of two civilian aircraft operated by the Miami-based humanitarian group Brothers to the Rescue, according to a US Department of Justice official.
News agency Reuters reported that the indictment, which would still require approval from a grand jury, could come soon. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the case centres on the long-contentious incident in which Cuban fighter jets shot down the planes, killing four Cuban-American men.
Havana had maintained at the time that the aircraft had violated Cuban airspace, while the United States said they were flying in international airspace.
The move marks a major escalation in already strained US-Cuba relations under President Donald Trump, whose administration has intensified sanctions on the communist-run island. Reuters said Washington has increased pressure on Cuba through measures targeting fuel supplies and economic activity, worsening shortages and blackouts across the country.
Case tied to decades-old US-Cuba tensions
The US Attorney’s Office is reportedly handling the investigation for the Southern District of Florida, which has been examining potential criminal charges against senior Cuban officials.
The development also comes amid cautious diplomatic contacts between the two countries. Cuba confirmed on Thursday that officials had recently met CIA Director John Ratcliffe. According to a CIA official cited by Reuters, Ratcliffe told Cuban authorities that Washington remained open to discussions on economic and security matters if Cuba undertook “fundamental changes”.
Neither Cuba’s foreign ministry nor the US Justice Department immediately commented publicly on the reported indictment plans.
(With inputs from Reuters)
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