![\"FBI](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/MIA_105RaulCIndictment20NEWPPP.JPG\" "\\"Acting")
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Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, with FBI Deputy Director Christopher G. Raia, announced a federal indictment against Ra\u00fal Castro for the shoot-down of two Brothers to the Rescue planes in 1996 at the Freedom Tower in Miami on Wednesday, May 20, 2026.<\/p>\n
Pedro Portal<\/p>\n
pportal@miamiherald.com<\/p>\n
Now that the U.S. has indicted 94-year-old Ra\u00fal Castro<\/a> in the Brothers to the Rescue shoot-down, what\u2019s next? If Venezuela is any guide \u2014 and that\u2019s still a big if \u2014 more U.S. involvement could be on the horizon.<\/p>\n We have seen the Trump administration increase pressure on Cuba, pushing the narrative that the relationship between the U.S. and the island nation has finally reached its breaking point. But the indictment issued by a Miami grand jury against Castro, who turns 95 next month, and five others is an intensification of a new order.<\/p>\n But before we get to the future, we need to acknowledge the past. This is a huge moment for Miami, 30 years in the making. That\u2019s how long this community has waited \u2014 and waited \u2014 for justice in the Brothers to the Rescue attack.<\/p>\n It was 1996 when four men in unarmed civilian planes were shot down by Cuba over international waters, according to an investigation by the International Civil Aviation Organization. They were part of a Miami-based exile group that searched for Cuban rafters at sea. Castro was the minister of defense at the time.<\/p>\n The Cuban government tried to justify the shootings at the time, arguing the organization had dropped leaflets over Havana in previous incidents. But a transcript of conversations between the two MiG jet fighters who downed the planes was released in 1996 by then-U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Madeleine Albright. The pilots were gleeful: \u201cThis one won\u2019t mess around anymore,\u201d one of the pilots said after shooting a civilian plane.<\/p>\n The ensuing years haven\u2019t done much to dim the outrage in Miami over the four deaths, and it surged again Wednesday. Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche announced the indictment to a standing ovation at Miami\u2019s Freedom Tower, symbolic as the place where many Cubans first entered the U.S.<\/p>\n \u201cJustice has been delayed for decades, but the Cuban dictatorship must finally answer for its crimes,\u201d Miami\u2019s U.S. Rep. Carlos Gim\u00e9nez said in a statement.<\/p>\n Wednesday was also Cuba\u2019s Independence Day, which was no coincidence.<\/p>\n Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Cuban American from Miami and a key player in the pressure campaign on Cuba, heightened the moment Wednesday morning by releasing a video on social media urging the Cuban people to see this as a moment of change that\u2019s within their hands.<\/p>\n The U.S. is open to a \u201cnew chapter<\/a>\u201d in its relationship with Cuba, Rubio said, and \u201cthe only thing standing in the way of a better future are those who control your country.\u201d<\/p>\n The news conference at the Freedom Tower was packed with Cuban-American leaders, activists, lawyers and relatives of the victims. It was a moment to remember the men who lost their lives and grieve them again. And it was a chance to address a wound that has been festering for decades since the shoot-down and even before that, starting when Fidel Castro took power in Cuba.<\/p>\n The Ra\u00fal Castro indictment alone won\u2019t accomplish true justice for the Cuban people. For that to happen, there must be serious steps that include a release of all political prisoners and a change in the country\u2019s leadership to allow real democratic reforms.<\/p>\n Rubio, in his recorded message to Cuba, emphasized the role that GAESA, the military conglomerate that controls much of the country\u2019s economy, has played in funneling foreign revenue to its hotels and businesses. That message seemed designed to give Cubans on the island encouragement to stand up to their government.<\/p>\n The U.S. may or may not be planning to storm Cuba and bring Castro to face charges the way it did with Nicol\u00e1s Maduro in Venezuela in January. It\u2019s hard to imagine the elderly Castro bundled onto a plane in a tracksuit or doing a perp walk on arrival in the U.S. \u2014 although with the Trump administration, there\u2019s no telling.<\/p>\n But even if this measure turns out to be mostly symbolic, it still carries a lot of power. Indicting the man \u2014 for murdering U.S. citizens \u2014 who still calls many of the shots in Cuba may have taken decades, but it has happened. And that is worth a lot.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll see what happens next,\u201d said Maggie Alejandre Khuly, sister of Armando Alejandre, who was 45 when he was killed in the shoot-down. \u201cIt\u2019s a bit more of the justice that we are seeking.\u201d<\/p>\n BEHIND THE STORY MORE <\/a> What’s an editorial? <\/p>\n Editorials<\/a> are opinion pieces that reflect the views of the Miami Herald Editorial Board, a group of opinion journalists that operates separately from the Miami Herald newsroom. Miami Herald Editorial Board<\/a> members are: opinion editor Amy Driscoll and editorial writers Isadora Rangel and Mary Anna Mancuso. Read more by clicking the arrow in the upper right.<\/p>\n What’s the difference between an op-ed and a column? <\/p>\n Op-Eds<\/a>, short for \u201copposite the editorial page,\u201d are opinion pieces written by contributors who are not affiliated with our Editorial Board. <\/p>\n Columns<\/a> are recurring opinion pieces that represent the views of staff columnists that regularly appear on the op-ed page. <\/p>\n How does the Miami Herald Editorial Board decide what to write about? <\/p>\n The Editorial Board, made up of experienced opinion journalists, primarily addresses local and state issues that affect South Florida residents. Each board member has an area of focus, such as education, COVID or local government policy. Board members meet daily and bring up an array of topics for discussion. Once a topic is fully discussed, board members will further report the issue, interviewing stakeholders and others involved and affected, so that the board can present the most informed opinion possible. We strive to provide our community with thought leadership that advocates for policies and priorities that strengthen our communities. Our editorials promote social justice, fairness in economic, educational and social opportunities and an end to systemic racism and inequality. The Editorial Board is separate from the reporters and editors of the Miami Herald newsroom.<\/p>\n How can I contribute to the Miami Herald Opinion section? <\/p>\n The Editorial Board accepts op-ed submissions of 650-700 words from community members who want to argue a specific viewpoint or idea that is relevant to our area. You can email an op-ed submission to oped@miamiherald.com. We also accept 150-word letters to the editor from readers who want to offer their points of view on current issues. For more information on how to submit a letter, go here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, with FBI Deputy Director Christopher G. 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Cuban American listens as acting Attorney General Todd Blanche announces a federal indictment against Ra\u00fal Castro at the Freedom Tower in Miami on Wednesday, May 20, 2026. Pedro Portal pportal@miamiherald.com <\/p>\n