U.S. Indicts Former Cuban President Raúl Castro and Five Pilots Over 1996 Plane Shootdown
U.S. federal authorities have indicted former Cuban President Raúl Castro and five military pilots for their alleged roles in the 1996 downing of two civilian aircraft operated by Brothers to the Rescue, resulting in the deaths of four Americans.
U.S. federal authorities have indicted former Cuban President Raúl Castro and five military pilots for their alleged roles in the 1996 downing of two civilian aircraft operated by Brothers to the Rescue, a Miami-based exile group. The incident resulted in the deaths of four individuals: Carlos Costa, Armando Alejandre Jr., Mario de la Peña, and Pablo Morales.
The indictment, unsealed on May 20, 2026, charges Castro, 94, with conspiracy to kill U.S. nationals, two counts of destruction of aircraft, and four counts of murder. The five pilots—Lorenzo Alberto Pérez-Pérez, José Fidel Gual Barzaga, Luis Raúl González-Pardo Rodríguez, Emilio José Palacio Blanco, and Raúl Simanca Cárdenas—are also charged with conspiracy to kill U.S. nationals.
According to the indictment, Castro, who was Cuba's defense minister at the time, authorized the use of deadly force against Brothers to the Rescue in January 1996, following the group's distribution of pro-democracy leaflets over Cuba. On February 24, 1996, Cuban fighter jets intercepted and shot down two unarmed Cessna aircraft over international waters, resulting in the fatalities.
Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche stated, "Over three decades later, we are committed to holding those accountable for the murders of four brave Americans."
The Cuban government has dismissed the indictment as a political maneuver. President Miguel Díaz-Canel accused the U.S. administration of "lying and manipulating the events" of 1996 to justify potential military action against Cuba.
This legal action marks a significant escalation in U.S.-Cuba relations, revisiting a contentious incident that has long been a point of tension between the two nations.