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Raúl Castro faces Florida arrest warrant over 1996 plane shootdown
A Florida judge has issued a state arrest warrant for 95-year-old former Cuban leader Raúl Castro, charging him with conspiracy to commit first-degree murder. The warrant, signed by Miami-Dade Circuit Chief Judge Ariana Fajardo Orshan, relates to the February 24, 1996, shootdown of two unarmed civilian aircraft operated by the Miami-based humanitarian group Brothers to the Rescue.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier stated that the attack resulted in the deaths of four people: Carlos Costa, Armando Alejandre Jr., Mario de la Peña, and Pablo Morales. Investigators allege that Cuban intelligence agents infiltrated the organization to transmit flight information to Havana, facilitating the attack by Cuban MiG fighter jets. While Cuba has historically claimed the aircraft violated its airspace, the International Civil Aviation Organization concluded the planes were in international waters at the time of the incident.
This state-level action follows a federal indictment issued against Castro in May 2026. Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel condemned the warrant, describing it as a 'pathetic Miami circus' and a political maneuver. The legal proceedings come amid heightened tensions and increased economic pressure from the United States administration toward the Cuban government.
Entities
Ariana Fajardo Orshan · Brothers to the Rescue · Florida · Florida Department of Law Enforcement · Hermanos al Rescate · James Uthmeier · Miguel Díaz-Canel · Raúl Castro · Ron DeSantis
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 12 SOURCES] Cuban spies operating in Florida allegedly collected and transmitted flight data to facilitate the shootdown. ciudadoriental.com · yamasadigital.com · democratacoahuila.com · offthepress.com · www.eldiariodehoy.com · +4 more
- [● 11 SOURCES] The warrant charges Raúl Castro with conspiracy to commit first-degree murder. ciudadoriental.com · yamasadigital.com · democratacoahuila.com · offthepress.com · www.eldiariodehoy.com · +3 more
- [● 8 SOURCES] Raúl Castro is already facing federal charges in the United States for his alleged role in the incident. ciudadoriental.com · yamasadigital.com · democratacoahuila.com · www.eldiariodehoy.com · elpregonerord.com · +1 more
- [● 17 SOURCES] Judge Ariana Fajardo Orshan signed a state arrest warrant for Raúl Castro in Miami-Dade County. ciudadoriental.com · yamasadigital.com · democratacoahuila.com · offthepress.com · www.eldiariodehoy.com · +10 more
- [● 6 SOURCES] State authorities will seek full extradition of Castro if he is arrested outside of Florida. www.informacion.es · www.caribpulse.com · croniosv.com · uruguayaldia.com.uy
- [● 44 SOURCES] The charges stem from the February 24, 1996, shootdown of two civilian aircraft belonging to Brothers to the Rescue. ciudadoriental.com · yamasadigital.com · democratacoahuila.com · offthepress.com · www.eldiariodehoy.com · +32 more
- [● 8 SOURCES] The Florida state arrest warrant is a no-bond warrant. offthepress.com · abriendobrecha.tv · arcadiafoundation.org · croniosv.com · www.lahoradecuba.com · +1 more
- [● 39 SOURCES] Four people died in the attack: Carlos Costa, Armando Alejandre Jr., Mario de la Peña, and Pablo Morales. ciudadoriental.com · yamasadigital.com · democratacoahuila.com · offthepress.com · www.eldiariodehoy.com · +27 more
- [● 30 SOURCES] Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier accused Raúl Castro of ordering the murder of four Florida residents. www.laverdadpa.com · offthepress.com · www.allgaeuer-zeitung.de · www.caribpulse.com · www.todoalicante.es · +20 more
- [● 35 SOURCES] The 1996 shoot-down of two planes belonging to the Hermanos al Rescate organization resulted in four deaths, including three US citizens. www.allgaeuer-zeitung.de · www.fehmarn24.de · ciudadoriental.com · www.laverdadpa.com · yamasadigital.com · +23 more
- [● 32 SOURCES] The US federal government had previously indicted Raúl Castro in May. www.allgaeuer-zeitung.de · www.fehmarn24.de · www.caribpulse.com · www.todoalicante.es · www.elcomercio.com · +22 more
- [● 29 SOURCES] The International Civil Aviation Organization concluded the planes were in international waters during the 1996 incident. www.allgaeuer-zeitung.de · www.fehmarn24.de · www.caribpulse.com · diarionoticias.do · diariosinsecretos.com · +19 more