The United States Department of Justice is reportedly preparing to seek a criminal indictment against former Cuban President Raúl Castro, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter.
The potential indictment is said to be linked to Castro’s alleged role in the 1996 shootdown of two civilian aircraft operated by Brothers to the Rescue, an anti-Castro organization based in Miami. At the time, Castro was serving as Cuba’s defense minister.
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The incident, which resulted in the deaths of four people, marked one of the most serious confrontations between Cuba and the United States in recent history. The planes were shot down by Cuban fighter jets after repeated warnings from Havana that it would respond to what it considered provocations near its airspace.
Any criminal charges against Castro would require approval by a federal grand jury and would likely further escalate already strained relations between Cuba and the United States.
The move comes as President Donald Trump continues to increase pressure on Cuba’s communist government. Since the start of the year, Washington has tightened economic sanctions, restricted fuel shipments, and publicly warned that military action remains an option if Cuba’s leadership refuses to implement political and economic reforms.
Trump declined to comment directly on the possible indictment but acknowledged that Cuba remains a major foreign policy concern.
“We have a lot to talk about on Cuba,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One.
The report follows a visit to Havana by CIA Director John Ratcliffe, who met with senior Cuban officials, including Castro’s grandson, Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez Castro.
Now 94, Raúl Castro formally stepped down as head of the Cuban Communist Party in 2021, ending more than six decades of direct Castro family rule that began with his brother, Fidel Castro. Despite his retirement, many analysts believe he continues to wield significant influence behind the scenes.
Political analyst Richard Feinberg said an indictment would likely resonate with Cuban-American voters in South Florida but may not significantly alter the balance of power in Havana.
“There’s no easy Venezuela copy,” Feinberg said, referring to the U.S.-backed removal of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro earlier this year. “It’s hard to imagine regime change without U.S. boots on the ground.”
The 1996 shootdown had lasting consequences for U.S.-Cuba relations. In response, Congress passed the Helms-Burton Act, which codified the U.S. embargo and made it more difficult for future administrations to normalize ties.
Several Cuban military officials involved in the incident have previously been indicted in the United States, but none have been brought to trial because they remain in Cuba.
If prosecutors proceed, the case would represent the most significant legal action ever taken by the United States against one of Cuba’s most powerful leaders and could mark a dramatic new phase in Washington’s efforts to pressure the Cuban government.
