The United States has charged former Cuban leader Raúl Castro with conspiracy to kill US nationals and murder over the 1996 downing of two civilian aircraft. The charges, revived from a 2003 indictment, allege Castro and five others shot down planes belonging to the Cuban American group Brothers to the Rescue. Four people died, including three Americans.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche announced the charges Wednesday at Freedom Tower in Miami. Castro, now 94, was head of Cuba's armed forces at the time. The US is also charging him with destruction of aircraft and four counts of murder for the deaths of Armando Alejandre Jr., Carlos Alberto Costa, Mario Manuel de la Peña, and Pablo Morales.
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel called the charges a "political maneuver" and accused the US of distorting the facts, claiming Cuba acted in "legitimate self-defense." Blanche stated there is a warrant for Castro's arrest and expects he will appear in the US "by his own will or another way."
The indictment escalates US pressure on Cuba's communist regime, alongside sanctions and an oil blockade causing blackouts and food shortages. Secretary of State Marco Rubio blamed the Cuban military-run conglomerate GAESA for the economic crisis. Experts say a surrender by Cuba is unlikely without a fight, and the charges may harden Havana's resolve.