The U.S. Justice Department is preparing to file criminal charges against former Cuban President Raúl Castro, sources told BBC News. The indictment, expected as early as next week, stems from the 1996 shootdown of two civilian planes by Cuban military jets, which killed four people, including three members of the Brothers to the Rescue organization and a U.S. citizen.

The incident occurred on February 24, 1996, when two unarmed planes flown by Cuban-American exiles from Florida were shot down by Cuban MiG fighters over international waters. The pilots had been monitoring Cuban airspace for rafts carrying migrants fleeing the island. Cuba claimed the planes violated its airspace, but the U.S. maintained they were operating in international airspace when attacked.

Prosecutors are reportedly building a case under U.S. laws that criminalize the destruction of American-registered aircraft. The charges could include conspiracy, murder, and violations of aviation safety laws, according to legal experts familiar with the investigation. The Justice Department has not confirmed the timing or details of the indictment.

Raúl Castro, who served as Cuba’s president from 2008 to 2018 and previously as defense minister, has not been publicly linked to the shootdown in decades. However, declassified U.S. documents and witness testimonies have long implicated Cuban military leadership in the decision to order the attack. The case has resurfaced amid shifting U.S.-Cuba relations under the Biden administration, which has maintained a policy of engagement with Havana while enforcing sanctions on human rights grounds.

The families of the victims have long pushed for accountability. José Basulto, founder of Brothers to the Rescue, has repeatedly urged U.S. officials to pursue legal action against those responsible. In 2003, a U.S. court awarded $187.6 million in damages to the families of the victims, but Cuba has never acknowledged fault or paid the judgment.

U.S.-Cuba tensions and the 1996 incident

The 1996 shootdown remains one of the most contentious episodes in U.S.-Cuba relations. The incident led to a temporary freeze in diplomatic relations and strengthened the U.S. embargo against Cuba. It also fueled decades of activism by Cuban-American groups pushing for justice, particularly among those who fled the island during and after the Cuban Revolution.

Legal experts say the indictment of a former head of state is rare but not unprecedented. In 2018, the U.S. charged four Russian military intelligence officers in absentia for the 2014 downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 over Ukraine. The charges against Raúl Castro would mark one of the most high-profile cases of its kind, given his prominent role in Cuba’s government for decades.

The timing of the indictment comes as the Biden administration weighs its approach to Cuba policy. While the White House has eased some restrictions imposed by former President Donald Trump, it has also maintained sanctions targeting Cuban officials over human rights abuses. The Justice Department’s move could further strain U.S.-Cuba relations, which have remained tense despite recent diplomatic efforts.

Should the indictment proceed, it would likely be filed in absentia, as Raúl Castro, 92, has not set foot in the U.S. since the incident. Extradition is improbable, given Cuba’s refusal to extradite its citizens to the U.S. However, the charges could complicate future negotiations between the two countries, particularly on issues like migration, drug trafficking, and regional security.

What You Need to Know

  • Source: BBC News
  • Published: May 16, 2026 at 01:37 UTC
  • Category: World
  • Topics: #bbc · #world-news · #international · #cuban · #castro-charges · #cuba

Read the Full Story

This is a curated summary. For the complete article, original data, quotes and full analysis:

Read the full story on BBC News →

All reporting rights belong to the respective author(s) at BBC News. GlobalBR News summarizes publicly available content to help readers discover the most relevant global news.

Curated by GlobalBR News · May 16, 2026

🇧🇷 Resumo em Português

O governo dos Estados Unidos estaria prestes a formalizar acusações criminais contra o ex-líder cubano Raúl Castro, mais de 25 anos após o sequestro e abate de duas aeronaves civis pela Força Aérea de Cuba, em 1996, um episódio que deixou quatro mortos. A medida, que deve ser anunciada ainda na próxima semana, marca uma escalada na tensão diplomática entre Washington e Havana, reacendendo feridas históricas e colocando em xeque os frágeis avanços nas relações bilaterais dos últimos anos.

O contexto remonta à era mais tensa da Guerra Fria no Caribe, quando grupos anticastristas exilados nos EUA, como o Hermanos al Rescate, sobrevoavam o espaço aéreo cubano para resgatar refugiados. Em fevereiro de 1996, caças MiG cubanos interceptaram duas dessas aeronaves, derrubando-as sobre águas internacionais. Cuba alegou que as aeronaves violaram seu espaço aéreo, mas a versão é contestada pela comunidade internacional e por relatórios de direitos humanos, que classificaram o ato como desproporcional. Para o Brasil, onde a política externa historicamente equilibra laços com Cuba e os EUA, a decisão americana pode reavivar debates sobre soberania, direitos humanos e a influência de Washington na região.

Se confirmadas, as acusações contra Raúl Castro — que deixou o poder em 2018, mas permanece como figura influente no Partido Comunista Cubano — poderão endurecer ainda mais as relações entre os dois países, já abaladas por sanções recentes e divergências sobre democracia e migração. A medida também levanta questionamentos sobre possíveis represálias cubanas e o impacto em acordos comerciais ou humanitários, como a recente aproximação com nações como China e Rússia.

🇪🇸 Resumen en Español

El gobierno de Estados Unidos se prepara para presentar cargos criminales contra el exmandatario cubano Raúl Castro por el derribo de dos avionetas en 1996, un episodio que reabre viejas heridas en las tensas relaciones entre ambos países. Según informaciones filtradas, la justicia estadounidense podría anunciar formalmente las acusaciones la próxima semana, lo que marcaría un giro radical en la política hacia La Habana.

El contexto de este posible proceso judicial se remonta a los años 90, cuando dos avionetas de la organización Hermanos al Rescate, que buscaban rescatar a balseros cubanos, fueron derribadas por cazas de la Fuerza Aérea cubana. El incidente causó la muerte de cuatro personas y provocó una fuerte condena internacional, aunque en su momento Cuba justificó la acción como una respuesta a incursiones no autorizadas en su espacio aéreo. Para los hispanohablantes, especialmente en España y Latinoamérica, este caso revive el debate sobre la aplicación de la justicia internacional, la memoria de los conflictos políticos de la Guerra Fría y las implicaciones que tendría una medida de este calibre en un contexto de creciente tensión geopolítica.