Raul Castro charges were expanded Monday in Florida, where the state’s top prosecutor accused the former Cuban president of directing spies to infiltrate a Miami exile group and authorizing the 1996 shootdown of two civilian aircraft.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced a state charge of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder tied to the downing of planes flown by Brothers to the Rescue, a Miami-based group. The case builds on a federal indictment unsealed in May that included counts of murder and destruction of an aircraft.
It is unclear whether Castro, 95, will ever appear in a U.S. courtroom. Uthmeier said the arrest warrant is intended to limit Castro’s travel, preventing him from visiting countries with U.S. extradition treaties or easily leaving Cuba.
“I’m not ignorant of the fact that Raúl Castro is an older man who’s probably not looking to march himself into Miami,” Uthmeier said, adding that the state stands ready to prosecute.
According to the state complaint, Castro was serving as Minister of the Revolutionary Armed Forces and First Vice President of Cuba when he gave the final authorization to shoot down the aircraft. Investigators said agents from Cuba’s Directorate of Intelligence, operating as part of the Wasp Network in the Miami area and the Florida Keys, infiltrated Brothers to the Rescue and relayed flight plans.
On Feb. 24, 1996, three unarmed Cessna planes departed Opa-Locka Airport in Miami-Dade County. While outside Cuba’s territorial waters, Cuban MiG fighters fired air-to-air missiles that destroyed two of the aircraft, killing all four people aboard, according to the complaint.
U.S. officials said both planes were flying away from Cuba and received no warning despite contact with Havana air traffic control. Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel earlier dismissed the federal indictment as a political maneuver aimed at justifying aggression against Cuba, accusing the United States of lying about the events surrounding the shootdown.
“Our historic federal indictment laid the groundwork, and James and his team have now taken the important step of bringing charges under Florida law,” U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Jason Reding Quiñones said at a news conference.
Raúl Castro assumed the presidency from his brother Fidel in 2006 and transferred power to Díaz-Canel in 2018. Although he stepped down as head of the Communist Party in 2021, he is widely seen as retaining influence, reflected in the public prominence of his grandson, Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez Castro.
Raul Castro charges follow earlier federal case
The state action mirrors significant allegations in the federal case and adds pressure on Castro’s movements abroad. Whether the warrant will lead to an arrest remains uncertain, as there is no indication he intends to travel to jurisdictions that might detain him.
The federal indictment comes amid continued scrutiny of U.S.–Cuba relations and past confrontations. Previous coverage of politically charged prosecutions, such as the federal raid of North Shore cannabis operator Jason Hanley, has highlighted the long reach of American law enforcement.
Cuba’s current leadership, including Díaz-Canel, continues to defend the government’s actions in international forums. Official statements from the Cuban Foreign Ministry have rejected the U.S. narrative surrounding the 1996 shootdown.
