Raul Castro charged with murder of Americans

The focus has been on the former leader of Cuba, whose name is associated with a tragedy thirty years ago that still haunts the families of the victims.

Rail Castro from the indictment files

Florida federal prosecutors on May 20, 2026, released updated case materials in which Raul Castro appears as a key figure in the decision to shoot down two civilian airliners in 1996. The move was another step in Washington's long-running campaign to hold senior Cuban officials accountable.

Chronicle of the tragedy over the Florida Straits

On February 24, 1996, two Cessna aircraft belonging to the group Brothers to the Rescue were on a humanitarian mission to search for Cuban refugees. According to the investigation, the aircraft were outside Cuban airspace when they were intercepted by a MiG-29 fighter jet. Four people, including three US citizens and one green card holder, died instantly. The International Civil Aviation Organization later confirmed that the Cuban side did not take any precautionary measures, such as radio communication or visual escort.

Raul Castro was defense minister at the time. According to the indictment, he was the one who convened a meeting with the military leadership and authorized the use of “decisive and lethal force.” The orders were passed through the entire chain of command, with the Castro brothers having the final say.

New evidence and expanded charges in 2026

In May 2026, the U.S. Department of Justice added testimony from former Cuban military personnel stationed in third countries to the case. This testimony confirms that Operation Scorpion, a network of agents in Florida, received direct instructions from Havana to collect information about the flight routes of the Brothers to the Rescue. One of the key agents, Juan Pablo Roque, falsely reported to the FBI the day before the tragedy that there were no flights over the weekend.

In addition to Raúl Castro, five fighter pilots have been charged. Lorenzo Alberto Pérez-Pérez, who was directly in command of the MiG-29, already had an indictment in 2003, but the case did not go to trial at that time. Now, four other pilots who underwent special training to intercept civilian aircraft have been added to the list, who underwent special training to intercept civilian aircraft a few weeks before the tragedy.

Havana's reaction and diplomatic context

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla called the accusations “illegitimate and illegal.” The Cuban government continues to insist that the planes violated airspace and posed a threat to national security. At the same time, in May 2026, the Cuban side published additional archival documents from the Federal Aviation Administration, where American officials predicted the possibility of shooting down the planes as early as 1995.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in his address on May 19, called on the Cuban people to choose a "new path." He stressed that a regime that relies on "incompetent and old men" has no future. At the same time, closed negotiations were held in Havana with the participation of CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Raul Castro's grandson, Raulito, who is now an informal channel of communication between the two countries.

Impact on modern US-Cuba relations

Raul Castro's indictment coincides with increasing economic pressure. In the first quarter of 2026, Washington imposed tariffs on countries that supply oil to Cuba, leading to another round of power outages on the island. President Trump has not ruled out a "friendly takeover" of Cuba, while at the same time declaring his readiness for negotiations.

The families of the victims, who have been seeking justice for nearly three decades, welcomed the news with cautious optimism. Lawyers for the families say that even without extradition, the indictment limits Castro's ability to travel and makes it harder for him to communicate with international partners.

What's next: scenarios

US Justice Department lawyers stress that the case is not a “showpiece.” There are various mechanisms for bringing the accused to justice, including operations similar to the detention of Nicolas Maduro in 2025. At the same time, analysts believe it is unlikely that 94-year-old Raul Castro will personally appear before a US court in the near future.

In May 2026, the US Congress is considering a bill to strengthen sanctions against Cuban military structures. In parallel, humanitarian negotiations are underway to provide $100 million in aid to the island, indicating the complexity of bilateral relations.