Politics

Florida Issues Arrest Warrant for Former Cuban Leader Raul Castro

By AFP

Florida has issued an arrest warrant for 95‑year‑old former Cuban leader Raul Castro, following a federal indictment filed in May. State Attorney General James Uthmeier said the warrant is based on criminal charges alleging Castro’s role in ordering the shooting down of two unarmed aircraft in 1996. The planes, operated by the Florida‑based group Brothers to the Rescue, were carrying Cubans fleeing the country. Four people were killed in the attack. Castro faces state‑level charges of conspiracy to commit first‑degree murder in Florida. Uthmeier stated in a news release that the warrant is necessary accountability for the lives lost and that Florida will continue to pursue justice for the victims. The incident occurred on February 24, 1996, when the aircraft were reportedly flying over international waters and received no warning before being shot down. Cuban officials have argued that previous Brothers to the Rescue flights had breached Cuban airspace. At the time of the attack, Castro was Cuba’s defence minister; he later became president in 2008 and retired in 2018, but remains a powerful figure in the Cuban government. The Trump administration has signalled a desire for regime change in Cuba and has tightened U.S. restrictions, including a de‑facto energy blockade and steep tariffs on oil suppliers. In May, the administration unveiled a federal indictment against Castro for the 1996 plane downings, charging him with conspiracy to kill U.S. nationals, destroying aircraft, and four counts of murder. U.S. Attorney Jason Reding Quinones issued a statement supporting Florida’s actions, noting that the federal indictment laid the groundwork and that state charges are an important step. The administration has previously used indictments to justify military operations against government leaders opposed to the U.S.