- Former Cuban President Raúl Castro has been indicted for conspiracy to kill U.S. nationals, four counts of murder.
- Castro led Cuba as its president from 2008-2018 before stepping down. Many believe him to still be the de factoleader of Cuba.
- There has been no announcement of a U.S. extraction of Castro.
Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche announced Wednesday that the U.S. Department of Justice indicted former Cuban President Raúl Castro.
“Today we are announcing an indictment,” said Blanche, “charging Raúl Castro, and several others, with conspiracy to kill U.S. nationals.”
The former president has been accused of ordering two U.S. civilian planes to be shot down in 1996.
“Mr. Castro and the others are charged with additional crimes,” Blanche continued, “including destruction of aircraft and four individual accounts of murder.”
The former president stepped down as president in 2018, but has since maintained a strong influence within the Cuban government.
“The message is for the Castro family,” said Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, R-Fla. “Understand this well … your days are over.”
Castro’s indictment marks the latest escalation in the U.S.-Cuba relationship.
Who is Raúl Castro?
Raúl Castro is the brother of deceased revolutionary and former Cuban President Fidel Castro.
He succeeded his brother as president in 2008 and served as the first secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba.
After a failed coup attempt in 1953, Castro was arrested and spent 22 months in prison.
In 1959, the Castros, along with revolutionary Che Guevara, led a successful revolution and took power of Cuba.
From 1959 until he assumed the presidency in 2008, Castro served as head of Cuba’s armed forces.
Castro stepped down from the presidency in 2018, but he is still widely considered the de facto leader of the country.
Charges of murder, conspiracy to kill
In 1996, a Cuban fighter jet shot down two civilian planes that were working for Brothers to the Rescue, a humanitarian group.
The Department of Justice is charging Castro, along with five others, for the crime.
“It’s been three decades since this tragedy happened,” said Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., in a Capitol Hill news conference Wednesday. “People of Cuban descent … have been waiting for justice.”
Four people were killed in the incident, including three U.S. citizens.
“This was premeditated murder of three Americans and one U.S. resident,” said Florida Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart. “Premeditated murder, ordered … by Raúl Castro himself.”
Secretary Rubio offers Cuba a new path forward
No announcement has been made about plans to extract the former leader.
William Grand, professor at American University, said in an interview with CBS that the indictment is probably “part of the broader pressure campaign that the Trump administration has been waging against Cuba.”
When asked if he believed the U.S would send personnel to extract Castro, Grand said, “I think it’s certainly possible.”
In recent weeks, Trump has alluded to military action against Cuba on multiple occasions.
On Wednesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a message directly to the Cuban people in Spanish.
“The real reason you don’t have electricity, fuel, or food,” said Rubio, “is because those who control your country have plundered billions of dollars, but nothing has been used to help the people.”
Rubio continued, “Instead of using the money to maintain and modernize the damaged power plants, they use the money to build more hotels for foreigners and send their families to live in luxury.”
The Trump administration has offered $100 million in humanitarian aid to help alleviate the current crisis.
Rubio said the aid would be given out on condition that the Catholic Church, or other trusted charities, distribute the goods.