Media: US plans indictment of ex-Cuban president Raúl Castro Over 1996 plane shootdown

The United States is preparing to indict former Cuban president Raúl Castro over the 1996 shootdown of civilian aircraft operated by the Miami-based humanitarian group Brothers to the Rescue, according to a U.S. Department of Justice official familiar with the matter.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity late on May 14, said the indictment would still require approval from a grand jury but appeared to be imminent, Reuters writes.

CBS News first reported details of the planned case.

The expected charges are linked to the downing of two Brothers to the Rescue planes by Cuban fighter jets in February 1996, an incident that killed four people and sharply escalated tensions between Washington and Havana.

The United States has long accused Cuba’s leadership of authorising the attack, while Havana has defended its actions by arguing the aircraft repeatedly violated Cuban airspace.

Representatives for Cuba’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment outside normal business hours. A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Justice also did not immediately comment.

The potential indictment marks a significant escalation in pressure by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump against Cuba’s communist-run government. Washington has recently intensified sanctions and warned countries supplying fuel to the island that they could face punitive measures, worsening Cuba’s economic difficulties and contributing to power shortages.

U.S. prosecutors in the Southern District of Florida have been examining possible criminal charges against senior Cuban officials for months, according to U.S. officials.

The development comes despite recent contacts between the two countries. Earlier this year, officials from both sides acknowledged discussions aimed at improving relations, though negotiations appeared to stall amid tensions over U.S. sanctions and fuel restrictions.

On May 14, Cuba confirmed it had held talks with CIA Director John Ratcliffe. A CIA official said Ratcliffe told Cuban intelligence officials that Washington was prepared to engage on economic security matters if Cuba undertook what he described as “fundamental changes.”

By Aghakazim Guliyev