Why did the US charge Raúl Castro after 30 years? | Raúl Castro Indicted | The Business Standard

Added: 2026-05-25

[00:00:01][music] >> Nearly 30 years after one of the most controversial incidents in US-Cuba relations, the United States Department of Justice has announced criminal charges against former Cuban President Raul Castro over the 1996 shoot-down of two civilian aircraft near Cuba.

[00:00:18]>> [music] >> The planes were operated by Brothers to the Rescue, a volunteer organization that searched for Cuban rafters lost at sea. On February 24th, 1996, three small Cessna aircraft departed from Florida during a rescue mission.

[00:00:34]According to investigators, Cuban MiG [music] fighter jets intercepted the planes and shot down two of them in international airspace without issuing direct warnings or attempting escort procedures.

[00:00:47]Four volunteers were killed in the attack. Their bodies were never recovered, and UN-backed report later confirmed that Cuba had fired on civilian aircraft outside Cuban territory, triggering international outrage and years of legal battles in the United States.

[00:01:05]Families of the victims continued pushing for accountability for decades.

[00:01:09]While lower-ranking Cuban officials had previously faced US indictments, the new charges against Raul Castro marked the first time a former Cuban head of state has been criminally prosecuted in connection with the incident.

[00:01:27]>> [music]