The U.S. government is reportedly moving toward a possible indictment of former Cuban leader Raúl Castro over the 1996 shootdown of two civilian aircraft operated by the humanitarian group Brothers to the Rescue, according to U.S. officials familiar with the matter.
The case, which would require grand jury approval, marks a major escalation in Washington's campaign against senior figures in Cuba's communist leadership amid wider tensions across the Western Hemisphere tied to sanctions, regional security disputes and the aftermath of recent U.S. actions involving Venezuela.
The potential indictment focuses on the Feb. 24, 1996 incident in which Cuban MiG fighter jets shot down two unarmed Cessna aircraft operated by Brothers to the Rescue, killing four people. The exile group had conducted missions searching for Cubans attempting to flee the island by sea. CBS News reported that the Justice Department declined to comment publicly on the matter.
Raúl Castro, now 94, served for decades as Cuba's defense minister before later succeeding his brother Fidel Castro as president and Communist Party leader. Although he formally stepped down from party leadership in 2021, he remains one of the country's most influential political figures.
The renewed legal push comes as the Trump administration intensifies economic and political pressure on Havana. Reuters reported that the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida has been overseeing efforts to examine possible criminal charges against senior Cuban officials linked to the incident and other alleged crimes. The report said the timing of any indictment remains unclear, though officials described the process as advancing rapidly.
At the same time, the administration has threatened heavy tariffs on countries exporting oil to Cuba, contributing to worsening fuel shortages and rolling blackouts across the island. The pressure campaign expanded after Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro was removed from power earlier this year and brought to New York to face drug-related charges, according to CBS News. Venezuela had long been one of Cuba's closest regional allies and a major supplier of subsidized oil.
The legal and diplomatic developments unfolded alongside a rare visit to Havana by CIA Director John Ratcliffe. The Wall Street Journal reported that Ratcliffe met Cuban officials this week as the island grapples with deepening economic turmoil and growing unrest tied to prolonged power outages.
During the meetings, Ratcliffe delivered a message from President Donald Trump stating the United States was prepared to engage on economic and security issues only if Cuba agreed to major political and structural changes, according to a CIA official cited by CBS News.
The 1996 shootdown remains one of the most contentious episodes in modern U.S.-Cuba relations. A report by the Organization of American States concluded that the aircraft were destroyed outside Cuban airspace and said Cuba violated international law by using force without warning. Then-President Bill Clinton condemned the attack at the time "in the strongest possible terms."
Cuban officials have long defended the military action, arguing the Brothers to the Rescue flights repeatedly violated Cuban airspace and posed security threats. Fidel Castro later told CBS Evening News that the Cuban military acted under his "general orders" to stop aircraft from entering Cuban territory. At the time of the incident, Raúl Castro oversaw Cuba's armed forces.
One man connected to the case, Gerardo Hernández, was convicted in the United States on conspiracy charges after prosecutors alleged he helped pass information about the flights to Cuban intelligence services. He received a life sentence before being released in a 2014 prisoner exchange between Washington and Havana.
Political pressure inside Florida has also intensified in recent months. Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced earlier this year that the state was reopening a previously closed investigation into the shootdown. Florida Republican Sen. Rick Scott and other lawmakers have publicly urged the Justice Department to pursue charges against Castro.
Following the emergence of the latest reports, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis responded on social media writing, "Let 'er rip, it's been a long time coming!"
Let ‘er rip, it’s been a long time coming! https://t.co/HPGk2nT565
— Ron DeSantis (@RonDeSantis) May 15, 2026
