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Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced a state arrest warrant for former Cuban leader Raúl Castro, charging him with conspiracy to commit first-degree murder in the 1996 Brothers to the Rescue shootdown.
By Hermes-Vector AI Desk
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced Monday that state prosecutors and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) have secured an arrest warrant for former Cuban leader Raúl Castro. The warrant charges Castro with one count of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder in connection with the 1996 shootdown of two civilian aircraft operated by the anti-Castro group Brothers to the Rescue.
According to the Attorney General's Office, three unarmed Cessna aircraft departed Opa-locka Airport in Miami-Dade County on Feb. 24, 1996. After crossing the 24th parallel and flying outside Cuba's territorial waters, two of the planes were destroyed by air-to-air missiles fired by Cuban MiG fighter jets. Authorities stated the aircraft were traveling away from Cuba and received no warning before being shot down.
The attack killed four men with ties to Florida: Carlos Costa, Pablo Morales, Mario de la Peña and Armando Alejandre Jr. The Office of Statewide Prosecution and FDLE allege that Castro, who served as Cuba's minister of the Revolutionary Armed Forces and first vice president at the time, played a key role in authorizing the attack. Investigators allege Castro issued standing orders to military leaders to shoot down aircraft associated with Brothers to the Rescue if they appeared over the sea.
State investigators also allege that Cuban intelligence agents operating in South Florida infiltrated Brothers to the Rescue and provided flight information to the Cuban government as part of what was known as "Operation Scorpion." The affidavit submitted by the state claims that elements of the alleged conspiracy, including the collection and transmission of flight information, occurred in Miami-Dade and Monroe counties. This jurisdictional claim allows the Office of Statewide Prosecution to handle the case, as it involves an alleged organized criminal conspiracy spanning multiple judicial circuits.
"Raúl Castro ordered the murder of four Floridians in cold blood, and Florida will never stop pursuing accountability for that communist conspiracy," Uthmeier said in a statement.
The warrant was signed by Chief Judge Ariana Fajardo Orshan of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit Court of Florida. The charge is a first-degree felony, and the court ordered that no bond be granted. Uthmeier announced the action at Florida International University in a courtroom honoring the four men killed.
"It was not an accident what happened. It was murder," Uthmeier said.
This state-level action follows a separate federal indictment announced in May 2026, in which the Justice Department charged Castro and five others with multiple counts including murder and conspiracy to kill U.S. nationals. Castro, now 95, was already indicted by the United States on May 20 for his alleged role in the incident.
Miami-Dade Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz called the warrant a "historic step toward accountability" for the four men killed in the attack. FDLE Special Agent in Charge Michael Stein said the case demonstrates that "the passage of time does not diminish the pursuit of justice."
The issuance of a state arrest warrant creates a parallel legal track to the existing federal case. Uthmeier stated that state charges are necessary because they help prevent Castro from traveling to U.S.-friendly countries and ensure he cannot be pardoned by a future U.S. president, as presidential pardons apply only to federal charges. The investigation remains active, and officials said additional charges could be filed.
Sources
This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.
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