The Justice Department is preparing to seek an indictment against former Cuban President Raul Castro, three people familiar with the matter told The Associated Press on Friday, as President Donald Trump threatens possible military action against the communist-run island.
Indictment Linked to 1996 Shootdown
One of the sources revealed that the potential indictment is connected to Castro's alleged role in the 1996 shootdown of four planes operated by the Miami-based exile group Brothers to the Rescue. Castro served as defense minister at the time. All three individuals spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss an ongoing investigation.
The Cuban government has not yet responded to requests for comment. The potential indictment, which would require approval from a grand jury, was first reported by CBS News.
Background of the Investigation
The Associated Press reported in March that the U.S. Attorney in Miami had established a special working group of prosecutors and federal law enforcement to build cases against top Cuban officials. This move came amid calls from several South Florida Republicans to reopen the investigation into Castro's alleged role in the 1996 incident.
As President Trump seeks to wind down the war in Iran, speculation grows that he may soon refocus on Cuba. Earlier this year, Trump pledged a 'friendly takeover' of the country if its leadership did not open the economy to American investment and expel U.S. adversaries.
CIA Director's Visit
CIA Director John Ratcliffe met with Cuban officials, including Castro's grandson, during a high-level visit to the island on Thursday. Castro, now 94, took over as president from his ailing brother Fidel Castro in 2011 and handed power to handpicked loyalist Miguel Diaz-Canel in 2019. Although he largely avoided the spotlight after retiring as head of the Cuban Communist Party in 2021, he is widely believed to wield power behind the scenes, highlighted by the prominence of his grandson, Raul Guillermo Rodriguez Castro, who previously met secretly with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The 1996 Shootdown Incident
Cuba's shootdown in 1996 of two Cessna aircraft operated by Brothers to the Rescue marked a pivotal moment in decades of hostilities between the two countries. At that time, President Bill Clinton was cautiously exploring ways to reduce tensions with the Cold War adversary located less than 90 miles from Florida. However, he faced stiff opposition from exiles who organized publicity-seeking flyovers of Havana, dropping anti-Castro leaflets and aiding Cuban rafters fleeing economic deprivation and single-party rule.
Cuban authorities had warned the U.S. government for months that they were prepared to defend against what they considered deliberate provocations. These warnings went unheeded, and on February 26, 1996, missiles fired by Russian-made MiG-29 fighter jets downed two unarmed civilian Cessna planes just beyond Cuba's airspace, according to an investigation by the International Civil Aviation Organization. A third plane carrying the organization's leader narrowly escaped.
Impact on U.S.-Cuba Relations
Richard Feinberg, who worked on Cuban issues at the National Security Council at the time, commented, 'With hindsight, it appears the Castros' motive was to slow down the Clinton outreach because they needed the US as an external enemy to justify their national security posture.' He added that they succeeded beyond their wildest dreams. Shortly after the shootdown, Congress passed the Helms-Burton Act, which codified the U.S. trade embargo enacted in 1962 and made it far more complicated for successive presidents to engage with Cuba.
To date, the U.S. has convicted only one person of conspiracy to commit murder in connection with the Brothers to the Rescue shootdown. Gerardo Hernandez, the leader of a Cuban espionage ring dismantled by the FBI in the 1990s, was sentenced to life in prison but was released by President Barack Obama during a prisoner swap in 2014 as part of an attempt to normalize relations with Cuba. Two fighter jet pilots and their commanding officer have also been indicted but remain beyond the reach of U.S. law enforcement while living in Cuba.
