Florida has issued an arrest warrant for former Cuban leader Raul Castro, accusing him of ordering the 1996 downing of two unarmed planes. The move parallels a federal indictment and intensifies US pressure on Cuba.
01Summary
- 01Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced the warrant on Monday, based on charges over Raul Castro's alleged role in ordering two unarmed planes shot down on 24 February 1996.
- 02The aircraft belonged to Brothers to the Rescue, a Florida-based group helping Cuban migrants; four people were killed.
- 03Castro, now 95, faces state-level charges of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder in Florida.
- 04The US Department of Justice has a parallel federal indictment against Castro, unsealed in May, charging him with conspiracy to kill US nationals and four counts of murder.
- 05The Trump administration has tightened restrictions on Cuba this year, including a de facto energy blockade that has worsened the island's power shortages.
02Why it matters
This warrant, combined with federal charges and US sanctions, signals the Trump administration's renewed push for regime change in Cuba, and could affect US-Cuba relations and the island's already strained economy.
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