A U.S. federal grand jury in South Florida has indicted former Cuban President Raúl Castro and five others for conspiracy to kill U.S. nationals, four counts of murder, and destruction of aircraft. The charges stem from the Cuban military's fatal downing of two civilian planes in 1996, which killed four people.
Castro, 94, led Cuba from 2008 to 2018 and served as head of the Communist Party until 2021. The indictment, unsealed Wednesday, marks an escalation in the Trump administration's pressure campaign against Havana.
It remains unclear if Castro will ever face trial, as Cuba does not extradite to the U.S. The case draws parallels to the capture of former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, who was indicted on drug charges and later taken into U.S. custody.