US Charges Former Cuban Leader Raúl Castro With Murder Over 1996 Killing of Americans

Castro was charged with the murder of three U.S. citizens and one green card holder in the 1996 Brothers to the Rescue incident.
US Charges Former Cuban Leader Raúl Castro With Murder Over 1996 Killing of Americans
Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche (C) speaks during a news conference announcing the indictment of former Cuban leader Raúl Castro, at the Freedom Tower in Miami on May 20, 2026. Chandan Khanna / AFP via Getty Images
Emel Akan
Emel Akan
Senior Reporter
|Updated:
0:00

Former Cuban leader Raúl Castro has been indicted on murder charges in the United States, court records unsealed on May 20 show. The move reflects intensifying U.S. pressure on the communist regime as the island grapples with severe economic turmoil.

The charges stem from Castro’s alleged role in a 1996 incident in which Cuba shot down two planes belonging to a humanitarian group called Brothers to the Rescue, killing three U.S. citizens and one lawful resident.

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Emel Akan
Emel Akan
Senior Reporter
Emel Akan is a senior White House correspondent for The Epoch Times, where she covers the policies of the Trump administration. Previously, she reported on the Biden administration and the first term of President Trump. Before her journalism career, she worked in investment banking at JPMorgan. She holds an MBA from Georgetown University.
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