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The US just indicted former Cuban president Raúl Castro. - Instagram
1 hour ago ... The United States is preparing to indict former Cuban leader Raul Castro over the 1996 downing of two humanitarian planes by Cuban jets, a US Justice Department ...
Trump administration indicts Cuba's Raul Castro over 1996 plane ...
United States federal prosecutors have indicted Cuba’s former President Raul Castro in connection with the 1996 downing of planes operated by the Miami-based exile group Brothers to the Rescue.The indictment, unsealed on Wednesday, marks one of the sharpest escalations in tensions between Washington and Havana in years.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Photos: Cuba holds May Day celebrations amid US threatslist 2 of 3US seeks indictment of former Cuban leader Raul Castrolist 3 of 3Cuba’s Diaz-Canel open to US aid amid worsening fuel crisis, blackoutsend of listThe US Justice Department alleges that Castro, Cuba’s defence minister at the time, played a leading role in the decision to have Cuban fighter jets to shoot down two civilian aircraft on February 24, 1996.It has charged Castro with one count of conspiracy to kill US nationals, four counts of murder and two counts of destroying an aircraft. Five co-defendants were also named in the indictment.Four people were killed in the 1996 attack, which triggered international condemnation and deepened the strains between the US and Cuba.“ For nearly 30 years, the families of four murdered Americans have waited for justice,” acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said as he announced the charges at Miami’s Freedom Tower.“ My message today is clear: The United States and President Trump does not and will not forget its citizens.”He described the four men who were killed — Carlos Costa, Armando Alejandre Jr, Mario de la Pena, and Pablo Morales — as “unarmed civilians” engaged in “humanitarian missions for the rescue and protection of people fleeing oppression across the Florida Strait”.“Nations and their leaders cannot be permitted to target Americans, kill them, and not face accountability,” Blanche added. “If you kill Americans, we will pursue you, no matter who you are, no matter what title you hold, and in this case, no matter how much time has passed.”Kash Patel, the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, also called the indictment “a major step toward accountability”.Brothers to the Rescue began operating in 1991 during a wave of Cuban migration to the United States. Founded by Cuban exile Jose Basulto, the group aimed to help Cuban refugees crossing the Florida Straits by locating rafters at sea and alerting the US Coast Guard.US officials and international investigators said the planes were attacked over international waters, while Cuba maintained the aircraft had violated or approache...
U.S. indicts Cuba's Raúl Castro on murder and conspiracy charges ...
1 hour ago ... U.S. indicts Cuba's Raúl Castro on murder and conspiracy charges for downing of planes in 1996 · Comments Section · Community Info Section.
Brothers to the Rescue: Cuba's 1996 shootdown of two planes ...
Former Cuban leader Raul Castro could face indictment for his alleged role in the 1996 shootdown of two civilian planes. The incident killed four people and sent US-Cuba relations plunging. Federal prosecutors are expected to make an announcement Wednesday in conjunction with a ceremony honoring the victims. AI-generated summary was reviewed by a CNN editor. Former Cuban leader Raul Castro has been indicted for his alleged role in the shooting down of two civilian planes 30 years ago that killed three Americans and sent US-Cuba relations plunging. Here’s what you need to know about the deadly incident. In the 1990s, a Miami-based volunteer organization called Brothers to the Rescue carried out regular flights attempting to find and assist Cubans trying to sail to the US. On one such mission, on February 24, 1996, Cuban forces shot down two of their planes near to the Cuban coast, destroying them with heat-seeking missiles, according to Congress documents. Three American citizens and one resident of the US were killed. A third Brothers aircraft escaped. In the immediate aftermath of the incident, the Cuban government accused Brothers to the Rescue of engaging in covert operations against the regime – allegations the US swiftly denied. According to the US government, the Brothers to the Rescue planes were unarmed and the volunteers aboard posed no threat to the Cuban government, military or population. On Tuesday, Cuba’s embassy in the US took to X saying the “violations of Cuban airspace” were not isolated incidents but among “more than 25 serious, deliberate and systematic violations.” “These were not miscalculations, but rather a continuous campaign that jeopardized international aeronautical safety,” the embassy said. Brothers to the Rescue, which is no longer active, has in the past described itself as a pro-democracy humanitarian group dedicated to helping Cuban people free themselves from dictatorship, using nonviolent means. The volunteer activist group was founded in May 1991 by anti-regime Cuban exile Jose Basulto, who was on the plane that escaped, and made up of Cuban American pilots flying out of Miami area airports. Its inception came after Cuban teenager Gregoria Perez Ricardo, who fled the communist-run island, died of severe dehydration while crossing the Florida Straits, according to the group. They also dropped leaflets over Cuba criticizing the communist government of Fidel Castro, the country’s former revolutionary leader who...
