Todd Blanche Lays Out Charges Against Cuba's Raúl Castro

Added: 2026-05-23

[00:00:00]General Todd Blench.

[00:00:03]>> [applause] >> Thank you.

[00:00:07]>> [applause] >> Thank you.

[00:00:12]>> [applause] >> Thank you.

[00:00:16]Thank you.

[00:00:17]>> [applause] >> Thank you.

[00:00:24]>> [applause] >> Thank you. Thank you very much. It's great to be here in uh in the great state of Florida.

[00:00:38]Today, we are announcing an indictment charging Raul Castro and several others with conspiracy to kill US nationals.

[00:00:51]This >> [cheering] [applause] [applause] [applause] [applause] [applause] [applause] >> Mr. Castro and the others are charged with additional crimes as well, including destruction of aircraft and four individual counts of murder.

[00:01:44]The indictment was returned by a grand jury sitting in this district in Miami on April 23rd 2026 and was unsealed today.

[00:01:56]For nearly 30 years, 30 years, the families of four murdered Americans have waited for justice.

[00:02:07]On February, this is a a story all too familiar.

[00:02:11]On February 24th, 1996, two civilian aircraft operated by Brothers to the Rescue were shot down over international waters by military aircraft from Cuba.

[00:02:25]Four men were killed.

[00:02:27]Carlos Costa, Armando Alejandre Jr., Mario de la Peña, and Pablo Morales.

[00:02:37]They were unarmed civilians and were flying humanitarian missions for the rescue and protection of people fleeing oppression across the Florida Straits.

[00:02:51]As alleged in the indictment, Raul Castro and five co-defendants participated in the conspiracy that ended with Cuban military aircraft firing missiles at those civilian planes and killing four Americans.

[00:03:04]Those are the allegations returned by a federal grand jury. My message today is clear.

[00:03:13]The United States and President Trump does not and will not forget its citizens.

[00:03:23]>> [applause] [applause] [applause] [applause] >> I want to say that we also do not forget the families, the loved ones, and the friends who have carried grief and heartache for 30 years.

[00:04:01]For the first time in nearly 70 years, senior leadership of the Cuban regime has been charged in this country, in the United States of America, for acts of violence resulting in the deaths of American citizens.

[00:04:16]Nations [snorts] and their leaders cannot be permitted to target Americans, kill them, >> [snorts] >> and not face accountability.

[00:04:27]President Trump is committed to restoring a very simple but important principle. 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.

[00:04:42]Um I want to thank, and everybody in this room should thank, the [snorts] FBI, the prosecutors, and the agents who worked on this matter. It includes the intelligence community and our federal [snorts] and state law enforcement partners. They did the work here, so thank you.

[00:04:59]>> [snorts and applause] [applause] >> There's a reason why myself and the Senator and other leadership are here and not in Washington, D.C., to announce this indictment.

[00:05:23]The community here, you all, understands the history of the Cuban regime better than anyone in America.

[00:05:31]Many families here know the cost of oppression. I've heard stories over the past week and past months, every one of them heartbreaking.

[00:05:40]They know that the pain caused by the regime did not stop at the island's shores. And today's indictment, while it does not bring back the murdered victims, it makes a statement.

[00:05:52]The United States government has not forgotten these innocent men who were shot out of the sky.

[00:05:59]And as in every criminal case, the defendants are presumed innocent until and proven guilty by a jury of their peers. But today, the Department of Justice has taken an important step and brought this indictment. I'm proud to stand here on this podium with US Attorney Jason R. Quiñones to my right, Chris Wray, Deputy Director of the FBI, >> [applause] >> You're going to You're going to get to clap You're going to get to clap for Jason in 20 seconds.

[00:06:32]Chris Wray, Deputy Director of the FBI, and James Uthmeier, the Attorney General of this great state.

[00:06:40]>> [applause] >> And your And your great US Senator is here as well.

[00:06:47]Uh she's very busy in DC, but uh wouldn't miss this for the world. So, thank you for being here, Senator Rubio.

[00:06:54]>> [applause] [applause] >> So, I want to thank I I want to thank Jason for his leadership down here in Florida. He's doing a great job beyond today, and I'd also ask him to to replace me at the podium to say a few words. So, thank you, Jason, very much.

[00:07:14]>> [applause]