The anticipated charges, which would require approval from a federal grand jury, would mark a dramatic escalation in Washington’s campaign against Cuba’s communist government, writes USA Today.
The case centers on the February 1996 downing of two Cessna aircraft operated by Brothers to the Rescue, a group that searched for Cubans attempting to cross the Florida Straits by raft. All four men aboard the planes were killed.
The move comes as the Trump administration has intensified pressure on Havana. The White House has threatened steep tariffs on countries supplying oil to Cuba, contributing to worsening energy shortages after shipments to the island largely halted. President Trump has also demanded sweeping political and economic reforms and has discussed the possibility of a “friendly takeover” of the country.
That pressure campaign accelerated in January after a U.S. military operation removed Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro from power and brought him to New York to face drug-related charges. Venezuela had long been one of Cuba’s most important allies.
Raúl Castro, 94, formally stepped down as head of Cuba’s Communist Party in 2021, but he remains a major figure inside the regime. His grandson, Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez Castro, known as “Raulito,” has become an important intermediary in communications between Cuban officials and the United States.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe met with the younger Castro on Thursday, following an earlier meeting last month. During the exchange, Ratcliffe delivered Trump’s position that Washington is prepared to hold serious discussions on economic and security matters, but only if Cuba undertakes major reforms. A CIA official familiar with the meeting said Cuba must stop serving as “a safe haven for adversaries in the Western Hemisphere.”
The potential indictment is part of a broader federal effort focused on Cuban Communist Party officials. Miami’s U.S. Attorney has been leading a multi-agency initiative launched several months ago involving federal prosecutors, local law enforcement, and the Treasury Department. The effort is examining possible cases tied to economic crimes, narcotics, violent offenses, and immigration violations, with senior party figures among the main targets.
The 1996 shootdown involved Cuban MiG-29 jets firing on the Brothers to the Rescue aircraft. An Organization of American States investigation later concluded that the planes were downed outside Cuban territorial airspace and that the attack violated international norms because it occurred without warning or demonstrated necessity.
The incident drew international condemnation and sharp criticism from then-President Bill Clinton.
Cuban officials have long defended the attack, arguing that the planes entered restricted airspace and posed a threat through planned sabotage operations.
At the time, Fidel Castro, who ruled Cuba until his death in 2016, told CBS News anchor Dan Rather that the military acted under his “general orders” to prevent incursions. Raúl Castro, who commanded Cuba’s armed forces during the incident, has long been viewed as centrally involved.
The episode also produced a major U.S. prosecution. Gerardo Hernandez was convicted of conspiracy to commit murder for his alleged role in a Cuban spy ring that provided intelligence on Brothers to the Rescue. He was sentenced to life in prison but was later transferred to Cuba as part of a 2014 prisoner exchange.
Florida officials have also renewed their focus on the case. The state’s attorney general announced in March that Florida was reopening its previously closed investigation into the shootdown. Republican Sen. Rick Scott and other members of Florida’s congressional delegation have recently urged the Justice Department to charge Raúl Castro and seek his extradition to the United States.
Let ‘er rip, it’s been a long time coming! https://t.co/HPGk2nT565
— Ron DeSantis (@RonDeSantis) May 15, 2026
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis responded to reports of the possible federal indictment Thursday evening by posting: “Let ‘er rip, it’s been a long time coming!”
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