US indicts former Cuba President Raul Castro over 1996 downing of two planes. Who is he?

The US Justice Department on Wednesday (May 20) indicted Raul Castro, the 94-year-old former president of Cuba, over the 1996 downing of a civilian aircraft operated by critics of the communist government. An unsealed indictment accuses Castro and several others of conspiracy to kill Americans and additional criminal charges linked to the attack that left four men dead. Speaking during the announcement, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said the indictment demonstrates that the United States continues to pursue justice for its citizens. "For nearly 30 years, 30 years, the families of four murdered Americans have waited for justice," Blanche said. "The United States and President Donald Trump do not and will not forget their citizens."

US expects Castro to end up in US jail: Blanche

The United States expects ex-Cuban president Raul Castro to end up in prison, the country's top law enforcement official said, suggesting Washington could seize him if he does not surrender. "We expect that he will show up here by his own will or by another way and go to prison," Blanche said during a press conference in Miami.

What happened in 1996?

The victims were killed in 1996 when two civilian aircraft searching for people attempting to flee the island toward Florida were shot down by the Cuban military. At the time, Castro was overseeing Cuba’s armed forces leadership. Court records show the newly unsealed charges add six defendants to a criminal case originally filed in 2003. That earlier case targeted three Cuban military officers accused in connection with the attack, though none were extradited to stand trial in the United States.

One of those original defendants, who prosecutors alleged piloted one of the aircraft involved in the operation, has since died and was removed from the case.

Among the newly charged individuals is Luis Gonzalez-Pardo, identified by prosecutors as the wingman on one of the MiG fighter jets used in the attack against the humanitarian group Brothers to the Rescue. According to court documents, Gonzalez-Pardo later relocated to Miami and was recognized by Cuban-Americans as a former member of the Cuban Air Force. Authorities have also charged him with making false statements while applying for a green card.

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US Attorney Jason A. Reding Quinones said that Raul Castro directed the chain of command when Cuban military aircraft launched missiles that destroyed the two planes, killing all four occupants. "Today is a step toward accountability," he says. “The passage of time does not erase murder.” He added that this marks the first time in more than 70 years that a senior Cuban government leader has faced US charges related to violence resulting in the deaths of Americans.

FBI Director Kash Patel, in a post on X, wrote, “In 1996, four Brothers to the Rescue members, including three U.S. citizens, took off from Florida on a humanitarian mission to help rafters fleeing Castro’s Cuba. Cuban MiGs shot their civilian planes out of the sky over international waters. Carlos Costa. Armando Alejandro Jr. Mario de la Peña. Pablo Morales. For 30 years, their families waited for answers. The FBI never forgot. Today’s superseding indictment charges Raul Castro and five Castro regime co-defendants with conspiracy to kill U.S. nationals, two counts of destruction of aircraft, and four counts of murder, and is a major step toward accountability.”

Meanwhile, FBI Deputy Director Christopher Raia described the Cuban government’s actions as reckless. He said that 16 FBI teams were working on the incident over the past 30 years. "We never stopped hunting for the truth," he says, adding that the US will "come after" anyone who spies on, or harms, US citizens. Raia also said the case was personally meaningful to him because he previously served with the Coast Guard in Miami, helping with humanitarian missions involving Cuban refugees attempting to escape the island.

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel reacts to the US indictment

Miguel Díaz-Canel on Wednesday dismissed the US indictment of former Cuban president Raul Castro over the 1996 downing of two civilian planes, calling it politically motivated and lacking legal merit. In a post on X, Díaz-Canel said the charges were a political move with no legal basis. He further accused the United States of attempting to escalate tensions with Cuba, claiming the accusations were designed to add to the file they are fabricating to justify the folly of a military aggression against Cuba.

Who is Raul Castro?

Raúl Castro remains one of the most significant political figures in modern Cuba. As the younger brother of revolutionary leader Fidel Castro, he played a crucial role in the country’s communist revolution before eventually leading the nation as president. Although he later stepped away from formal leadership, Castro has continued to wield symbolic and political influence within Cuba’s ruling system.

Born in 1931, Raul Castro joined Fidel Castro in the armed uprising against Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista. Their guerrilla movement succeeded in overthrowing Batista’s US-backed government in 1959, paving the way for Cuba’s transformation into a communist state. During the revolution, Raul emerged as one of the movement’s most trusted military leaders and political organisers.

Following the revolution, Castro spent decades serving as Cuba’s defence minister, strengthening his authority over the country’s military and security institutions. He also played a key role during the failed Bay of Pigs Invasion in 1961 and later oversaw Cuban military missions abroad, particularly in Africa. His long-standing control of the armed forces helped cement his position as one of the most powerful figures within Cuba’s communist government.

What is an indictment?

An indictment is a formal legal document issued by prosecutors that outlines criminal charges and the allegations supporting them. In the US legal system, an indictment represents accusations that must later be proven in court. Defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.