Raul Castro

Raúl Castro, the former President of Cuba (2008–2018) and former Minister of the Armed Forces, has been the subject of a long-standing U.S. investigation regarding the February 24, 1996, shootdown of two civilian aircraft operated by the group Brothers to the Rescue. On May 20, 2026, the U.S. Department of Justice unsealed a federal indictment filed in Miami, charging Castro with four counts of murder, one count of conspiracy to kill U.S. nationals, and two counts of destruction of an aircraft. Prosecutors allege Castro, as defense minister, authorized the military to intercept and destroy the planes, which resulted in the deaths of four men, including three U.S. citizens, over international waters. Historically, investigators also examined evidence suggesting senior Cuban officials, including those under Castro's military command, engaged in racketeering and accepted payments from Colombian cartels to facilitate drug trafficking. Additionally, in September 2019, the U.S. sanctioned Castro, barring him from entry, citing human rights abuses and support for the government of Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela. Castro has not been taken into U.S. custody and has denied wrongdoing, with the Cuban government labeling the 2026 indictment a politically motivated fabrication.