Overview
- The U.S. Department of Justice publicly filed criminal charges against 94‑year‑old Raúl Castro on May 20 for the 1996 shootdown of two Cessna planes, accusing him of conspiracy, destruction of an aircraft and four counts of murder.
- Cuban state media and officials organized large pro‑Castro demonstrations in Havana that drew President Miguel Díaz‑Canel and party leaders to a rally defending the action as legitimate self‑defense.
- U.S. Justice Department officials, including prosecutor Todd Blanche, said they intend to bring Castro to trial and signaled they will seek his transfer even if it requires unconventional measures.
- The United States has moved naval assets, including the carrier group around the USS Nimitz and the amphibious USS Iwo Jima, into the southern Caribbean and close to Cuba, a deployment officials say is for positioning and deterrence.
- Newly released FAA records show U.S. agencies had warned before the 1996 attack that a Cuban military response was possible, and critics say the indictment risks serving geopolitical aims as well as seeking legal accountability while practical hurdles to arrest and transfer remain.