US plans to indict Cuba's Raul Castro for 1996 attack on aircraft

Cuba's Raul Castro to be indicted by US for 1996 attack on aircraft

Mohan Sinha
17 May 2026, 22:02 GMT+10

Cuba's Raul Castro may be indicted by the United States, a U.S. Department of Justice official said late on May 14.
The case may involve the 94-year-old former Cuban president, who is Fidel Castro’s brother, and is expected to focus on the shooting down of aircraft.
The Trump administration has criticized Cuba’s current government as corrupt and ineffective and wants to replace it.

WASHINGTON, D.C.: Cuba's Raul Castro may be indicted by the United States, a U.S. Department of Justice official said late on May 14.

The exact timing of the possible charges is not clear, as they still need approval from a grand jury, but an official said it could happen very soon.

The case may involve the 94-year-old former Cuban president, who is Fidel Castro's brother, and is expected to focus on the shooting down of aircraft. The official shared this information without being named.

CBS earlier reported that the case is linked to Cuba's 1996 attack on planes run by the humanitarian group Brothers to the Rescue.

Cuba's foreign ministry and the U.S. Justice Department did not immediately comment.

The Trump administration has criticized Cuba's current government as corrupt and ineffective and wants to replace it. Recently, the U.S. has increased pressure by threatening sanctions on countries that supply fuel to Cuba, which has caused power outages and hurt its economy.

The U.S. Attorney's Office in southern Florida has been leading efforts to look into possible criminal charges against top Cuban officials.

Earlier this year, both countries said they were in talks, but discussions seemed to stall due to U.S. fuel restrictions.

However, Cuba confirmed on May 14 that it had met with CIA chief John Ratcliffe. He told Cuban officials that the U.S. is willing to cooperate on economic security issues if Cuba makes major changes.