Overview
- Federal prosecutors in Miami unsealed the indictment on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, charging 94-year-old Raúl Castro with conspiracy to kill U.S. nationals, four counts of murder, and two counts of destruction of aircraft.
- The grand jury filing names Castro and five co-defendants and ties the charges to the Feb. 24, 1996 downing of two Brothers to the Rescue civilian planes that killed four people.
- U.S. and international investigations, including the ICAO, concluded the planes were shot down over international waters and that Cuban forces did not follow standard interception procedures.
- Officials and coverage say the indictment is mainly a diplomatic and legal tool in the administration’s broader pressure campaign on Cuba, and there is no sign Castro will be taken into U.S. custody or extradited soon.
- The move revives a decades-long Miami investigation and delivers a measure of accountability for victims’ families while raising the prospect of sharper political and economic measures, including sanctions and targeted actions against Cuba’s military conglomerate.