Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier Announces Arrest Warrant for Former Cuban Leader Raúl Castro Over 1996 Aircraft Shootdown

Nearly three decades after four men lost their lives when Cuban fighter jets shot down two unarmed civilian aircraft, Florida has formally moved to hold one of Cuba's most powerful former leaders criminally accountable.

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced Monday, October 19, that state authorities have secured an arrest warrant for former Cuban President Raúl Castro, accusing him of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder in connection with the February 24, 1996, attack.

The announcement, made during a news conference at Florida International University in Miami, marks a significant development in a case that has remained a source of pain and controversy within South Florida's Cuban-American community.

The 95-year-old former Cuban leader faces one count of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, a first-degree felony under Florida law. The court has ordered that he be held without bond if arrested.

Uthmeier, whose office reopened the investigation in 2025, said the state would continue pursuing accountability for the deaths of Carlos Costa, Pablo Morales, Mario de la Peña and Armando Alejandre Jr.

“It was not an accident what happened. It was murder,” Uthmeier declared during Monday's announcement.

The four men were aboard two aircraft operated by Brothers to the Rescue, a Miami-based organisation that assisted Cuban migrants attempting dangerous sea crossings to the United States.

According to Florida investigators, three unarmed Cessna aircraft departed Opa-Locka Airport in Miami-Dade County on February 24, 1996.

Two were subsequently destroyed by missiles fired from Cuban MiG fighter jets over international waters, killing all four occupants.

Investigators allege that Castro, who was serving as Cuba's Minister of the Revolutionary Armed Forces and First Vice President at the time, was among the final decision-makers who authorised the operation.

The state's affidavit also alleges that Cuban intelligence operatives working in South Florida infiltrated Brothers to the Rescue and supplied flight information to authorities in Havana.

The intelligence operation, identified as Operation Scorpion, allegedly helped Cuban military officials track the aircraft before the deadly attack.

Authorities further contend that Castro issued instructions allowing senior military commanders to shoot down the aircraft without seeking additional approval.

The warrant was signed by Chief Judge Ariana Fajardo Orshan of Florida's Eleventh Judicial Circuit.

Monday's announcement follows a separate federal indictment issued in May 2026, when American prosecutors brought charges against Castro and five other individuals over the same incident.

That indictment included murder, conspiracy and aircraft destruction charges.

U.S. Attorney Jason Reding Quiñones, who attended Monday's announcement, said the earlier federal case provided the foundation for Florida's latest legal action.

The parallel prosecutions represent an intensified effort by American authorities to pursue those they believe were responsible for the attack.

However, significant uncertainty remains over whether Castro, who resides in Cuba, will ever appear before a United States court.

Uthmeier acknowledged the practical difficulties of bringing the former Cuban leader to trial but maintained that Florida was prepared to prosecute him if he were taken into custody.

He also indicated that the warrant could restrict Castro's international travel, particularly to countries with extradition agreements with the United States.

Cuba has previously rejected the American prosecution of Castro, maintaining that Brothers to the Rescue violated Cuban airspace and that its military acted in defence of national sovereignty.

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel has also dismissed the federal charges as politically motivated.

The latest state proceedings add another dimension to the longstanding tensions between Havana and Washington, while reopening painful memories for the victims' families.

Miami-Dade Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz described the warrant as an important step toward accountability, recognising the decades of grief experienced by relatives and members of the Cuban-American community.

Florida authorities confirmed that the investigation remains active and that additional charges could follow.

Although the warrant represents a significant legal development, Castro has not been convicted of the allegations, and his arrest remains uncertain.

For the families of the four men killed in 1996, Monday's announcement represents another chapter in a pursuit of justice that has now stretched across three decades.