19.10.2026 18:01
Cuba's former leader Raúl Castro has become the center of a new legal process related to the 1996 plane attack in which four people lost their lives. A judge in the US state of Florida issued an arrest warrant for the 95-year-old Castro. While the charges linked to the downing of two civilian aircraft remain on the agenda despite 30 years having passed, the decision has brought the historical tension between the US and Cuba back to the fore.
A judge in the US state of Florida has issued an arrest warrant for Cuba's former President Raúl Castro. The decision was made in connection with the 1996 incident in which two civilian aircraft were shot down and four people lost their lives. The 95-year-old Castro is accused of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder in connection with the attack.
THE 1996 AIRCRAFT ATTACK IS BACK IN THE SPOTLIGHT
The arrest warrant signed by a judge in Miami relates to the incident that occurred on February 24, 1996, and has long been a subject of dispute between the US and Cuba. Cuban military fighter jets shot down two civilian aircraft operated by Brothers to the Rescue, an organization founded by Miami-based Cuban exiles. Four people aboard the aircraft died in the incident. Three of those killed were US citizens.
Documents prepared as part of the investigation conducted by Florida authorities alleged that individuals linked to Cuban intelligence infiltrated the organization in question and passed flight information to Cuban officials. Prosecutors' documents claimed that this information may have been used in planning the attack.
The role of Raúl Castro, who was at the head of the Cuban Armed Forces at the time of the incident, in planning the attack is also at the center of the investigation. The arrest warrant stated that there is sufficient reason to believe that Castro conspired with other individuals to commit first-degree murder.
AIRSPACE DISPUTE BETWEEN THE US AND CUBA
After the 1996 attack, the US and Cuba clashed over the airspace in which the aircraft were located. The Cuban government argued that the aircraft had entered the country's airspace and considered the action within the scope of self-defense. The US stated that the aircraft were in international airspace.
The assessment of the International Civil Aviation Organization was also that the aircraft were shot down outside Cuban airspace. Despite the passage of nearly 30 years, the incident has retained its importance in relations between the two countries and on the agenda of Cuban-origin communities in the US.
FEDERAL CHARGES HAD ALSO BEEN FILED AGAINST CASTRO BEFORE
The arrest warrant issued in Florida is not the first legal proceeding against Castro. In May 2026, the US Department of Justice announced federal charges against Castro and five others in connection with the 1996 aircraft attack. The charges include conspiracy to kill US citizens, destruction of aircraft, and murder offenses related to the killing of four people. <The new arrest warrant in Florida is being considered the next stage of the state-level investigation. It was reported that authorities plan to seek his extradition to the state if Castro is arrested outside Florida.
In the proceedings against Cuba's former leader, the charges do not yet amount to a final conviction. In the later stages of the case, the allegations and evidence in the investigation file are expected to be evaluated during the judicial process.