US Charges Former Cuban Leader Raúl Castro with Murder for 1996 Aircraft Shootdown
George Thomas : May 21, 2026
CBN News
"They were unarmed civilians and were flying humanitarian missions for the rescue and protection of people fleeing oppression across the Florida Straits." -Todd Blanche, acting US Attorney General
[CBN News] In Miami, Cuban Americans took to the streets chanting "Liberta! Liberta!" or "freedom" after the US government charged former Cuban President Raúl Castro with murder. (Screengrab image: via The Hill video)
"Today the Cuban people are finally getting their justice; they are going to bring him over and try him as the murderer he is," said a resident of Miami.
A Florida grand jury indicted Raúl Castro, the brother of longtime dictator Fidel Castro, and five others for their alleged role in the 1996 shootdown of two planes carrying humanitarian aid.
Four people died, including three Americans. Castro, now 94, was Cuba's defense minister at the time.
"For the first time in nearly 70 years, senior leadership of the Cuban regime has been charged in this country, in the United States of America, for acts of violence resulting in the deaths of American citizens," said Todd Blanche, acting US Attorney General.
President Trump has threatened military action against Cuba after US forces captured Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro, a longtime ally of Havana. (Screengrab image: via Reuters video)
"We have Cuba on our mind. Very important. It's been a lot of problem for a lot of years, and this was a big—I think it was a very big moment," Trump said late Wednesday.
The USS Nimitz strike group is now off Cuba's coast, raising questions about whether US troops could go in and take him by force.
"The message is for the Castro family, understand this well, that your days are over," said Rep. María Elvira Salazar (R-Florida).
Cuba's leaders are said to be preparing for a military confrontation. Axios reports they've obtained more than 300 military drones and discussed possible attacks on Guantanamo Bay, military vessels, and targets in Key West.
On Wednesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged Cubans to reject communist rule and embrace a new relationship with the United States.
"President Trump is offering a new path between the US and a new Cuba," Rubio said during a speech he delivered in Spanish. "A new Cuba where you can complain about a failing system, without fear of going to jail or being forced to leave your island. And a new Cuba where you have a real opportunity to choose who governs your country and vote to replace them if they're not doing a good job."
The developments come days after CIA Director John Ratcliffe reportedly met with Raúl Castro's grandson in Havana, saying the US was open to talks if Cuba makes major changes.
"We all want change in Cuba. We want freedom for Cuba, but what we don't want is a negotiated freedom that leaves much of the brutal regime intact," said Jorge Malagon-Marquez, a professor at Miami Dade College.
Meanwhile, a new report from the US Commission on International Religious Freedom criticizes Cuba for decades-long violations of religious liberty. Experts say a regime change would be monumental.
"Oh, it's freedom," Sam Brownback, former Ambassador for International Religious Freedom, told CBN News. "They would be able to go back to practicing their faith that they've had. This is a very faithful people and faith-oriented people; they haven't been able to practice that. They could pursue their faith again." Subscribe for free to Breaking Christian News here
George Thomas: Born in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and of Indian descent, CBN News' Senior International Correspondent and anchor, George Thomas, has been traveling the globe for more than 20 years, finding the stories of people, conflicts, and issues that must be told.