| All very well, but can it be executed all the way in still-Communist Cuba? |
The warrant was signed by Miami Judge Ariana Fajardo Orshan. Castro is suspected of involvement in the downing of two civilian airliners in 1996, which killed four people, three of whom were U.S. citizens. The warrant stems from investigations that suggest the former Cuban leader may have been involved in a conspiracy to commit first-degree murder.
Investigators believe Cuban intelligence agents infiltrated the Miami-based organization Brothers to the Rescue and transmitted information about its aircraft routes to Havana. This information, according to the prosecution, could have been used in preparation for a military operation.
On May 16, The New York Times reported that US authorities were considering conducting a similar operation against Castro as was carried out against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Journalists indicated that, to implement this initiative, the US side intended to initiate criminal proceedings against the former Cuban president.
On May 20, the United States filed charges against Castro, accusing him of involvement in the deaths of American citizens in 1996. The charges relate to the events of February, when Cuban fighter jets shot down planes belonging to the Brothers for the Rescue opposition group after they violated Cuban airspace. At the time, Raúl Castro served as the country's defense minister, and the United States believes he ordered the strikes. The Kremlin stated that Russia does not approve of the violent pressure the United States is using against Cuba.
On June 4, the United States announced sanctions against Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel and members of his family, as well as the son and grandson of former Cuban leader Alejandro Castro Espina and Alejandro Castro Calis .
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Raúl Castro 09/04/2026 US hits Cuba with new sanctions as island's crises multiply
Raúl Castro 06/20/2026 Desperate Cuba Announces ‘Perfecting' of Economy to Avoid U.S. Sanctions and Dupe Foreign Investors
Raúl Castro 05/27/2026 Cuba has demanded that the United States stop pressuring the country
Raúl Castro 09/04/2026 US hits Cuba with new sanctions as island's crises multiply
Raúl Castro 06/20/2026 Desperate Cuba Announces ‘Perfecting' of Economy to Avoid U.S. Sanctions and Dupe Foreign Investors
Raúl Castro 05/27/2026 Cuba has demanded that the United States stop pressuring the country