The United States has filed criminal charges against former Cuban leader Raúl Castro, accusing him of conspiracy to commit murder and other crimes related to the 1996 shootdown of two civilian aircraft between Cuba and Florida.
According to a report by the BBC, the case alleges that Castro and five other individuals were involved in the downing of planes belonging to the Cuban-American group Brothers to the Rescue, in which four people were killed, including three U.S. citizens.
At the time of the incident, Castro served as head of Cuba’s armed forces and later faced international condemnation over the event.
The charges, announced on Wednesday in Miami, include aircraft destruction and four counts of murder connected to the deaths of Armando Alejandre Jr., Carlos Alberto Costa, Mario Manuel de la Peña, and Pablo Morales.
U.S. officials said the case reflects ongoing efforts to hold Cuban leadership accountable for past actions, while the Cuban government dismissed the accusations as politically motivated and legally baseless.
The Department of Justice stated that the charges could carry severe penalties, including life imprisonment or the death penalty if convicted in a U.S. court.
Raúl Castro, now 94, remains one of the most prominent surviving figures of Cuba’s communist leadership during the 1990s.
