Trump DOJ indicts Raul Castro: 'JUSTICE WILL BE DONE'

Ajouté : 2026-05-20

[00:00:00]The DOJ is tying the 94 year old uh to the deadly shootown of two Miami planes flying over international waters in 1996 that were seeking to help Cubans es escape the communist regime. Four people were killed and it happened as Castro was serving as Cuba's minister of defense. Castro is now charged with murder and conspiracy to kill US nationals. Congressman Carlos Jimenez is the first Cubanborn US representative and Congresswoman Maria Alvarez Salazar is the daughter of Cuban immigrants.

[00:00:30]They will join us in just moments.

[00:00:32]>> Looking forward to that. But let's begin with Justice uh correspondent David Spunt who is live in Miami there for us.

[00:00:38]David >> Sander John, a big day not only here in Miami but across the United States. A Castro, a member of the Castro family is now facing a federal indictment here in the United States. Any indictment of Raul Castro or any member of the Castro family is welcome, especially to those Cubanameans living in Miami and across the country who have felt such oppression. This news conference expected to start in about 15 minutes or so honoring those four that died tragically 30 years ago. Allegedly at the hands of Raul Castro, who allegedly gave that shootown order of those planes. Listen, Sandra John R. Castro is 94 years old. He lives in Havana. He has no official role right now. However, he is still a kingmaker. No question. 30 years ago, as you mentioned, that 1996, that group of brothers to the rescue flew three planes to help people fleeing from the communist nation. They were over the Atlantic Ocean. Two planes shot down, four people were killed. Rahul Castro led the military, allegedly ordered that shootown. As I said, acting attorney general Todd Blanch on hand in just moments honoring the victims and announcing this indictment, which includes, as you mentioned, the big charge of murder. Now, today's news comes one week after CIA director John Ratcliffe met with Cuban officials on the ground in Havana to send a message directly from President Trump regarding Cuba's future. Now, things on the island are grim. Blackouts, gas shortages, to name a few. Again, this news conference begins in about 15 minutes or so. We'll bring it to you when it starts. The big question though, will Rahul Castro be brought to the United States? As we saw earlier this year with former Venezuelan President Nicholas Maduro, we've tried multiple times, spoken to multiple sources and multiple agencies. No one will give us a straight answer on that question. But we know right now Raul Castro is facing this indictment, which includes the charge of murder for those four people that will be honored today here in Miami at the Freedom Tower.

[00:02:41]Sandra, John, >> good job talking over what seems like quite a bit of noise there. Uh, David Spont, thank you. All right, John.

[00:02:48]>> It is going to be a significant afternoon. All right, let's bring in the only Cuban board member of Congress, Carlos Jimenez of Florida, and Florida Congresswoman Maria Salazar, who is the daughter of Cuban exiles. Good to have you with us, folks, on what is a very significant day in terms of the wheels of justice finally turning here. You know, I I half expected today to hear that there had been some sort of Maduro style operation that went in and swept Raul Castro up and is bringing him the justice here in the United States. It doesn't look like that has happened, but Congresswoman Salazar, what do you think the overall effect of this indictment might be?

[00:03:24]Well, thank you for the opportunity and I just was telling Carlos that uh that that uh scene that we're that you guys are broadcasting is my district is the heart of district number 27, the city of Miami. And today is a glorious day for our community. My community, Carlos community, South Florida, because justice will be done. And we know that being indicted by a federal grand jury is very serious stuff. The first thing that I want to say is thank you President Trump because after 10 administrations, Republicans and Democrats, this president has had the courage to bring two Americans who were dead on the Florida Straits to justice.

[00:04:03]But not only that is that Cuba is the number one enemy in the Western Hemisphere for this country.

[00:04:09]>> You know, uh, an indictment is one thing. Actually bringing Rael Caster to justice is quite another which is why I half expected to to see him frog marched out there at this uh this hearing this afternoon, this news conference this afternoon. U if he is indicted and somehow brought to justice, Congresswoman Jimenez, is this the sort of thing that could potentially cause the regime in Cuba to fall or is he so far removed from Cuban politics that it doesn't really matter?

[00:04:35]>> Oh, no. No. Don't ever make the mistake that somehow Raul Castro is is far removed from uh the politics really really the the ruling class the the government really there's a government inside a government in Cuba is GAA is a a corporation of military personnel that's headed by Raul Castro they have uh they control 70% of the economy of Cuba so uh indicting Raul Castro and if we somehow bring him to justice here in in the United States is a very clear signal from this administration that uh you know they're not there's a new sheriff in town. Uh we're not going to be playing around with America's number one threat in our hemisphere which is Cuba. Uh and then we mean business. I mean you know Noriega found that out I guess in Panama. Maduro found that out a couple of months ago in in Venezuela and things are changing there. I would expect that something similar may be happening in Cuba. Now what this does, it gives the president of the United States options that he can exercise in order to bring about the change that is needed not only for the Cuban people >> but uh for the security of the United States.

[00:05:46]>> We have to put into context for your for your audience for your audience. Let's put into context for the average American viewer. Castro and the Cuba regime has been the platform, the launching pad for the last 60 years for enemies, Russia, China, Iran, Hezbollah, Hamas. Nothing good comes from Cuba.

[00:06:05]Unfortunately, the Cuban people are 11 million slaves. And this president, President Trump, is the one who is recognizing that and doing something about it. So this and this indictment is just one of many of atrocities that the Castros have committed and we are very pleased that is happening today.

[00:06:23]>> Uh in terms of what Congresswoman Jimenez said just a second ago, the president having options. He talked about that yesterday and he seemed to suggest that regime change might not be one of the options that's high. It's on his list. Listen to what he said.

[00:06:36]>> I don't know about changing the regime.

[00:06:38]I I could do that whether you change a regime or not. You know, it's been a rough regime. They've they've killed a lot of people. But uh it's it's a country that really needs help. It has nothing. They can't turn on the lights.

[00:06:51]They can't eat. We don't want to see that.

[00:06:53]>> I remember when I was working in Miami back in 1989, 1990. Uh everybody was saying, you know, wait until Fidel Caster dies, then everything is going to change. Jorge Mascanosa, keep it American National Foundation, all those folks were saying it's going to be a big day when he dies. Well, Fidel Caster outlived Jorge Mascanosa by 19 years.

[00:07:13]And when he died in 2016, nothing changed. So this is an island, Congresswoman Salazar, that just seems to have crazy resilience when it comes to this regime. I mean, it's kind of like Iran.

[00:07:25]>> And I and you're absolutely correct, but there are for me in my view, there are two factors that are different. Number one, there's a new sheriff in town. As Carlos has just said, Trump is in the White House. And number two, they do not have anyone else to exploit. First they had the Russians, then they had uh Maduro, and then they had the Venezuelans. Right now, even the Mexicans, we have told them, don't help them because Cuba does not produce anything. The only thing they're produces evil and repression. So for that reason, I we do know that after this indictment, things are going to change because the Cubans don't have food, electricity, water, medicine, nothing. And the Cuban the overseas Cubans, we in Miami, we're more than ready to help them. and to help the United States to create freedom and and democracy. So it's a different it's a different scenario as in when uh Raul when Fidel died.

[00:08:16]>> Yeah. One other thing is that that this is not Iran. Cuba is not Iran and uh there are demonstrations happening every single night in Cuba. The people are starting to rise up and I I do disagree with the president. You cannot deal with this regime. Uh in order to for us to give them help to the Cuban people that they desperately need, there needs to be political change. You know, this regime is one that has thousands of political prisoners. It has has not had any kind of elections in over 65 years. It is an enemy of the United States. And unlike Iran, which may be five, six, 7,000 miles away, this is 90 miles away from our shores. And so we just learned that they they also have a a a cache of some three to 400 uh drones that are capable to reach uh the southeast United States including all of Florida that poses a significant security risk to the United States. So you know while the president may say hey maybe we can you cannot deal with this regime any part of this regime it needs to change uh in order to make them a friend of the United States and and also to relieve the suffering of the Cuban people >> and also when you indict Rahul Castro who is the head because Zas Canel is just a puppet we're talking about only three or four members of the Castro family that I'm sure will flee with him because think about it Raul is 95 years 95 years old is very old. Does he really want to spend or run the up the possibility of spending the rest of his days in a federal prison or just fleeing with the rest of his family? It's a different scenario and I'm sure that it's going to come out great.

[00:09:54]>> All right. Well, we will watch and see all the permutations and combinations of what's about to transpire this afternoon. Uh Congressman, Congresswoman, thank you so much for joining us today. Really appreciate it.

[00:10:04]>> Pleasure.

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