Florida issues arrest warrant for Raúl Castro over 1996 shootdown of Brothers to the Rescue planes

Florida's judiciary has issued an arrest warrant against former Cuban ruler Raúl Castro, 95, for his alleged role in the shootdown of two civilian planes operated by the organization Brothers to the Rescue on February 24, 1996, an attack that killed four people. State Attorney General James Uthmeier announced the measure on Monday, October 19, following the reopening of a state investigation launched last year.

The warrant was signed on Friday, October 16, by Judge Ariana Fajardo Orshan, chief judge of Florida's Eleventh Judicial Circuit, and charges Castro with conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, with no bail allowed. "Raúl Castro ordered the cold-blooded murder of four Floridians," Uthmeier said in a statement from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE). The victims were Carlos Costa, Pablo Morales, Mario de la Peña and Armando Alejandre Jr.; three were U.S. citizens and the fourth was a legal permanent resident.

According to the Miami Herald, a central element of the case is the alleged involvement of Cuban intelligence agents infiltrated into Brothers to the Rescue, who reportedly gathered information about the organization's flights from Miami and Key West. Authorities maintain that this link to Florida territory supports state jurisdiction, although the shootdown occurred over international waters in the Florida Straits.

The state action adds to federal charges announced in May 2026 by the U.S. Department of Justice, which indicted Castro and five other Cuban citizens on seven counts, including four of murder. Florida authorities acknowledged they cannot execute the warrant on Cuban territory, although it could enable an arrest if the former ruler travels to a country willing to cooperate. Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel condemned the decision, calling it a maneuver with no legal meaning.

Photo: Cuba Bajo Lupa

Source: Quadratín Hispano