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The United States is reportedly preparing criminal charges against former Cuban President Raúl Castro, according to American officials cited by Reuters and several U.S. media outlets. The potential indictment would mark one of the most dramatic escalations in relations between Washington and Havana in decades.
Officials familiar with the matter said the case is linked to the 1996 shootdown of two civilian aircraft operated by the humanitarian organisation Brothers to the Rescue, an incident that killed four people and sharply worsened U.S.-Cuban relations at the time.
According to Reuters, the indictment is expected to be presented before a federal grand jury, although the exact timing remains unclear. One U.S. Department of Justice official described the move as sounding “imminent”.
The case would target the 94-year-old former Cuban leader, who succeeded his brother Fidel Castro and officially served as president from 2008 until 2018. Though he stepped down from formal leadership positions several years ago, analysts believe Raúl Castro continues to wield significant influence within Cuba’s political system and Communist Party structures.
The Brothers to the Rescue incident remains one of the most sensitive episodes in modern U.S.-Cuban history. On February 24, 1996, Cuban fighter jets shot down two small civilian planes over international waters near Cuba. The aircraft belonged to the Miami-based humanitarian group, which had previously conducted missions searching for Cuban migrants lost at sea and had also dropped anti-government leaflets over Havana.
The Clinton administration at the time condemned the attack as a violation of international law and responded with tighter sanctions on Cuba through the Helms-Burton Act.
The reported move comes after the Trump administration has intensified economic pressure on Cuba and threatened sanctions against countries supplying fuel to the island and accusing the Cuban government of corruption and political repression.
The economic situation in Cuba has deteriorated significantly in recent months. Cubans now experience fuel shortages, rolling blackouts, inflation and supply chain disruptions, which have triggered protests in several cities across the island. The crisis has worsened following instability in Venezuela and disruptions linked to the broader conflict involving Iran in the Middle East, both of which have affected global energy flows.
Reuters also reported that the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida has been leading a broader effort to explore potential criminal cases against senior Cuban officials.
At the same time, diplomatic contacts between both countries appear to be continuing behind closed doors. Cuba confirmed on Thursday that CIA Director John Ratcliffe met Cuban officials in Havana. According to a CIA official cited by US media, Washington signalled it could discuss economic and security issues if Cuba undertakes what the United States described as “fundamental changes”.
When asked about the possible indictment while returning from a trip to China, President Trump declined to comment directly, saying the matter was for the Department of Justice to address.
If charges are formally filed, the case could further complicate already strained relations between the United States and Cuba, while also reopening long-standing legal and diplomatic disputes dating back to the Cold War era. WaL
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PICTURED ABOVE: Raúl Castro at the AEC in 2016. PC : Presidencia de El Salvador via Wikimedia Commons.
