Florida issues arrest warrant for Raúl Castro

Florida issued an arrest warrant for Cuba's former leader Raúl Castro, charging him with murder over the 1996 downing of two small planes operated by an exile group based in Miami. The warrant was announced by Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier during a press conference on Monday. Castro, who is 95 years old, faces state-level charges for the deaths of four individuals, three of whom were U.S. citizens. The incident occurred when Cuban fighter jets shot down the planes belonging to the organization "Hermanos al Rescate" (Brothers to the Rescue). The attack took place on February 24, 1996, when two unarmed Cessna planes departed from Opa-Locka in Miami-Dade County. According to Florida prosecutors, the planes were far outside Cuban territorial waters when they were destroyed by Cuban MiG fighters using air-to-air missiles. The victims included Carlos Costa, Pablo Morales, Mario de la Peña, and Armando Alejandre Jr., all members of the rescue organization. The organization aimed to assist Cubans attempting to flee the island by sea. Uthmeier described the incident as intentional, stating, "That was no accident, but murder." He emphasized that Florida could pursue its own charges independently of the federal indictment issued earlier this year. The state's decision comes amid heightened tensions between the United States and Cuba, exacerbated by sanctions and an oil embargo under former President Donald Trump. Raúl Castro, the younger brother of the late revolutionary leader Fidel Castro, served as Cuba's defense minister at the time of the incident. Havana claimed the planes had entered Cuban airspace, while the International Civil Aviation Organization concluded they were over international waters at the time of the attack. Castro was already indicted by the U.S. federal government in May for his alleged role in the incident, facing charges including murder and conspiracy to kill American citizens. Florida's move adds another layer to the legal pursuit of accountability, with state and federal authorities working in tandem. Cuba's foreign minister, Bruno Rodriguez, criticized the arrest warrant as a "futile maneuver by anti-Cuban politicians in South Florida," calling it a reflection of "political rot and moral collapse." Current Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel stated the U.S. federal indictment against Castro lacks legal basis and serves to justify potential U.S. military aggression against Cuba. The case resurfaced in March after Florida prosecutors reopened the investigation, three decades after the attack. It coincides with increased pressure from the Trump administration on the Cuban government, including new measures targeting regime-linked figures and intensified sanctions aligning with Cuba's ongoing economic crisis. The arrest warrant represents a renewed effort by Florida officials to hold Castro accountable for the 1996 incident, which has long been a point of contention between the two nations.