Overview
- Members of Congress Carlos Giménez, Mario Díaz‑Balart, and María Elvira Salazar joined victims’ families to announce a letter asking President Donald Trump to have the Justice Department consider indicting Raúl Castro.
- The push centers on the Feb. 24, 1996 downing of two unarmed Brothers to the Rescue planes in international airspace, which killed three U.S. citizens and one legal U.S. resident whose bodies were never recovered.
- Lawmakers point to an audio recording reported by the Miami Herald in which Castro is allegedly heard discussing orders to shoot down the aircraft, along with past statements placing him in the chain of command.
- Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody said any prosecution would take time and require grand jury proceedings, with supporters noting there is no statute of limitations at issue.
- Axios reported that Secretary of State Marco Rubio has held secret talks with Castro’s grandson, a diplomatic subplot that coincides with the renewed legal and political campaign.