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The United States is seeking to indict former Cuban President Raul Castro, the 94-year-old brother of late leader Fidel Castro, over the 1996 downing of two civilian planes, US media reported on Thursday.
CBS News, citing US officials familiar with the matter, reported that the potential indictment would focus on Cuba’s deadly shootdown of planes operated by the humanitarian group Brothers to the Rescue. Four people were killed in the incident.
A Justice Department official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the timing of the potential indictment was not immediately clear but that the move “sounds imminent,” according to Reuters.
The possible indictment comes as CIA Director John Ratcliffe visited Havana on Thursday, meeting with Cuban officials including Raul Guillermo Rodriguez Castro, the former leader’s grandson, who is known as “Raulito.”
A CIA official said Ratcliffe was there “to personally deliver President Donald Trump’s message that the United States is prepared to seriously engage on economic and security issues, but only if Cuba makes fundamental changes.”
The official added that Cuba can “no longer be a safe haven for adversaries in the Western Hemisphere.”
Trump has repeatedly signalled that he wants to topple the communist government in Cuba. The administration has threatened heavy tariffs on any country that exports oil to Cuba, leading to energy shortages as oil shipments are largely cut off.
Cuban Energy Minister Vicente de La O Levy said on Wednesday that the island has “no fuel oil, no diesel,” according to local media. The country is enduring constant power outages, with most residents experiencing blackouts for 20 hours or more each day.
The 1996 shootdown involved two Cessna planes operated by Brothers to the Rescue, an exile group that searched for Cubans attempting to flee the island on rafts. The planes were shot down by a Cuban MiG-29 fighter jet.
A report by the Organisation of American States found the planes were shot down outside Cuban airspace and alleged that Cuba violated international law by shooting without warning and without evidence that it was necessary.
At the time of the incident, Fidel Castro was Cuba’s leader, and Raul led the armed forces.
Cuban officials have argued the shootdown was legitimate, claiming the group had violated Cuban airspace and sought to carry out acts of sabotage on infrastructure.
Following Ratcliffe’s visit, the Cuban government issued a statement saying the meeting “took place … against a backdrop of complex bilateral relations.” Cuba reiterated that it “does not constitute a threat to US national security.”
A Justice Department spokesperson declined to comment on the potential indictment, which would need approval from a grand jury.
Raul Castro formally stepped down as leader of Cuba’s Communist Party in 2021 but is still widely seen as one of the most powerful figures in the country.
