Florida Judge Signs Castro Warrant in Shootdown Case

Florida has issued a no-bond state arrest warrant for Raúl Castro, alleging he conspired to commit first-degree murder in the 1996 shootdown of two Brothers to the Rescue planes. A Miami judge found probable cause based on a state investigation into the deaths of four people aboard the civilian aircraft; the warrant alleges the plan moved through Cuba’s chain of command, with Raúl and Fidel Castro as final decision-makers. The warrant adds a state case to the federal charges filed against Raúl Castro and five former Cuban military officers in May, which include murder and conspiracy counts. The attack, carried out by Cuban fighter jets over the Florida Straits, killed three U.S. citizens and one U.S. legal resident.