Florida Issues Arrest Warrant for Cuba’s Former President Raul Castro

Oct 20, 2026 at 10:37 AM

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Lanka Leader

A Florida judge has issued an arrest warrant for former Cuban President Raul Castro, 95, the state’s attorney general announced on Monday, marking a further escalation of Washington’s months-long pressure campaign against Havana.

The warrant relates to the 1996 shooting down of two American aircraft operated by anti-communist Cuban exiles off Cuba’s coast. US authorities accuse Castro of ordering the attack.

“Today, we are announcing state charges against Raul Castro with an arrest warrant for conspiracy to commit first-degree murder,” Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier said at a press conference in Miami.

Uthmeier said prosecutors had gathered evidence and witness testimony allegedly linking a Cuban intelligence network to the operation that reportedly led Castro to order the aircraft to be shot down.

In May, the US Department of Justice separately indicted Castro and five other individuals on charges including murder, conspiracy to kill US nationals and destruction of aircraft.

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel denounced the indictment as a “political maneuver, devoid of any legal foundation” and accused Washington of using the case as a pretext to justify potential future military action against Havana.

The 1996 Aircraft Shootdown

In February 1996, Cuban fighter jets shot down two US aircraft operated by Brothers to the Rescue, a Miami-based organisation established by Cuban exiles. Four men were killed in the incident.

Havana has consistently maintained that the aircraft violated Cuban airspace and that its actions were taken in self-defence.

The incident remains a longstanding source of tension between Washington and Havana, reflecting decades of confrontation between the Cuban government and the United States.

The US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has a long history of working with Cuban exile groups opposed to the government in Havana. One of the most prominent examples was the failed Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961, an attempt to overthrow the Cuban revolutionary government.

Washington imposed a sweeping trade embargo on Cuba the following year, establishing a policy of economic pressure that has remained a central feature of bilateral relations.

Trump Intensifies Pressure on Havana

US President Donald Trump has intensified pressure on Cuba under what he calls the “Donroe Doctrine,” a modern interpretation of the 19th-century Monroe Doctrine, which sought to establish US predominance in the Western Hemisphere.

The latest measures form part of a broader campaign by Washington to increase pressure on governments it opposes in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Following the US military operation that resulted in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in January, Trump imposed an almost total energy blockade on Cuba and declared that the island would be “next” in line for regime change.

The restrictions have contributed to a severe energy crisis across Cuba, triggering widespread electricity shortages and frequent blackouts.

The worsening situation has heightened concerns over the humanitarian consequences of Washington’s pressure campaign, particularly as Cuba continues to face economic difficulties and restrictions on its access to essential energy supplies.

Russia, China and Other Countries Provide Assistance

Amid the growing crisis, Russia, China, Mexico and several other countries have provided humanitarian assistance to Cuba.

In March, Moscow delivered approximately 700,000 barrels of oil to the island, providing a significant source of energy amid mounting supply constraints.

The continued assistance reflects efforts by several countries to support Cuba as US pressure intensifies.

The latest arrest warrant against Raul Castro adds another dimension to the longstanding confrontation between Washington and Havana, raising further questions about the future of US-Cuban relations and the potential implications for regional stability in Latin America and the Caribbean.