Florida officials announced on Monday, October 19, that a state arrest warrant has been issued for former Cuban leader Raúl Castro in connection with the 1996 shootdown of two civilian planes operated by the Miami-based group Brothers to the Rescue.
The warrant, signed by Chief Judge Ariana Fajardo Orshan of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit, charges Castro, 95, with one count of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder. According to the affidavit, Castro — then Cuba's armed forces minister — was a final decision-maker in the chain of command that authorized the shootdown. The charge is an allegation that has not been proven in court, and it follows a federal indictment of Castro and five others announced in May.
On February 24, 1996, three unarmed Cessna aircraft departed Opa-locka Airport in Miami-Dade County. Cuban fighter jets destroyed two of them, killing Carlos Costa, Pablo Morales, Mario de la Peña and Armando Alejandre Jr. Florida officials say the alleged conspiracy, including the collection of flight data, occurred in Miami-Dade and Monroe counties.
Why it matters
Attorney General James Uthmeier announced the warrant at a news conference at Florida International University in Miami. For South Florida families who have followed this case for 30 years, the state charge is a new legal step alongside the federal case — but Castro remains in Cuba, and no arrest has been made.
