Raúl Castro is facing an arrest warrant in Florida over his alleged role in the 1996 shootdown of two civilian aircraft that killed four members of the Miami-based Brothers to the Rescue group.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced the state charge on Monday, October 19, 2026, saying Castro is accused of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder.
Authorities said the warrant is not expected to lead to his immediate arrest because the 95-year-old former Cuban leader remains in Cuba.
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Raul Castro: What the Raúl Castro warrant alleges
The Florida case relates to the destruction of two unarmed Cessna aircraft on February 24, 1996.
The planes were operated by Brothers to the Rescue, a group that conducted flights over the Florida Straits to search for Cuban migrants in distress.
Four people died in the attack: Carlos Costa, Armando Alejandre Jr., Mario de la Peña and Pablo Morales.
Three of the victims were United States citizens, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Florida prosecutors allege that Castro, who was Cuba’s minister of the Revolutionary Armed Forces at the time, authorized and oversaw the military chain of command involved in the operation.
The state also alleges that Cuban intelligence agents had infiltrated the exile group and passed information about its flight plans to the Cuban government.
According to the U.S. indictment, Cuban MiG fighter jets fired air-to-air missiles at the aircraft while they were outside Cuban territory over international waters.
The planes were travelling away from Cuba and allegedly received no warning before they were destroyed.
Why the warrant matters
Uthmeier said the warrant could restrict Castro’s ability to travel outside Cuba, including for medical treatment.
Florida authorities have acknowledged that the state does not currently plan to send officers to Cuba to apprehend him.
The warrant nevertheless gives the case a new state-level dimension after federal prosecutors in Miami unsealed a superseding indictment against Castro and five other alleged Cuban regime defendants in May.
The federal indictment charges conspiracy to kill U.S. nationals, destruction of aircraft and four counts of murder.
It says the alleged attack was planned through a chain of command overseen by Castro.
The federal case also names Lorenzo Alberto Perez-Perez, Emilio José Palacio Blanco, José Fidel Gual Barzaga, Raúl Simanca Cárdenas and Luis Raúl González-Pardo Rodríguez.
A case dating back three decades
Brothers to the Rescue was founded by Cuban exiles in Miami and became known for searching for rafters attempting to leave Cuba.
The group’s flights were opposed by Havana, which viewed the missions as violations of Cuban airspace and part of a broader campaign against the government.
On the day of the attack, three aircraft left Opa-locka Airport in Miami-Dade County.
Two were shot down, while the third aircraft escaped.
The incident sharply worsened relations between Washington and Havana.
It also became a central issue in the debate over the limits of U.S. policy toward Cuba and the protection of civilian aircraft operating near the island.
What happens next
Castro has not appeared in a Florida court and is not in U.S. custody.
Any prosecution would require his presence before the court, either through an arrest outside Cuba followed by extradition or through another legal arrangement.
The federal indictment remains an allegation, and Castro is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
The same legal principle applies to the state charge announced by Florida authorities.
The case comes as relations between the United States and Cuba remain tense.
Castro left the Cuban presidency in 2018 and stepped down as first secretary of the Communist Party in 2021, but he has continued to hold influence within the country’s political and military establishment.
He also reappeared publicly in Cuba in September 2026 at a military-related ceremony after rumours about his health circulated outside the island.
For now, the warrant is primarily a legal and diplomatic pressure measure.
It does not change Castro’s status inside Cuba, but it could affect his ability to travel and places the 1996 shootdown back at the centre of U.S.-Cuba relations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Raúl Castro have an arrest warrant in Florida?
Florida authorities accuse him of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder in connection with the 1996 shootdown of two Brothers to the Rescue aircraft.
What happened in the 1996 shootdown?
Cuban fighter jets destroyed two unarmed civilian aircraft over international waters on February 24, 1996, killing four people.
Who were the victims?
The victims were Carlos Costa, Armando Alejandre Jr., Mario de la Peña and Pablo Morales.
Will Raúl Castro be arrested immediately?
No immediate arrest is expected because Castro is in Cuba and Florida authorities do not currently plan to send officers there to apprehend him.
Has Raúl Castro been convicted?
No. The Florida warrant and the U.S. federal indictment contain allegations, and Castro is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
Fact-Checked: Key facts were checked against the U.S. Department of Justice indictment announcement and the Florida Attorney General’s official case summary. ([justice.gov](https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/united-states-unseals-superseding-indictment-charging-raul-castro-and-five-castro-regime-co?utm_source=openai))
Disclaimer: The charges and allegations described in this article have not been proven in court.