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Raúl Castro faces Florida arrest warrant over 1996 aircraft shoot-down
A Florida judge has issued a state arrest warrant for former Cuban President Raúl Castro, charging him with conspiracy to commit first-degree murder. The warrant stems from the February 24, 1996, shoot-down of two aircraft belonging to the Miami-based organization ‘Brothers to the Rescue’ over international waters, an incident that resulted in the deaths of four crew members.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced the warrant, noting that the investigation involves allegations that Cuban intelligence facilitated the attack. This state-level action follows a similar federal indictment brought against Castro in May. At the time of the 1996 incident, Castro served as Cuba’s Minister of Defense.
The legal move has drawn sharp international condemnation. The Cuban government, led by President Miguel Díaz-Canel, dismissed the warrant as a ‘pathetic circus’ and a politically motivated maneuver. China and Russia have also rejected the warrant, with Beijing criticizing the use of judicial measures to pressure Cuba and Moscow labeling the accusations as an act of vengeance by the anti-Cuban lobby in Miami.
Entities
Brothers to the Rescue · Cuba · Florida · James Uthmeier · Mao Ning · Miguel Díaz-Canel · Raúl Castro
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 8 SOURCES] Four people died in the 1996 aircraft shoot-down. mediodigitalrd.com · tvn.com.ar · cubaenresumen.org · www.elpaisvallenato.com · nycaribnews.com · +3 more
- [● 10 SOURCES] A Florida judge issued an arrest warrant for Raúl Castro. mediodigitalrd.com · tvn.com.ar · www.martinoticias.com · cubaenresumen.org · www.elpaisvallenato.com · +5 more
- [● 4 SOURCES] Castro was the Minister of Defense at the time of the 1996 incident. tvn.com.ar · nycaribnews.com · prensadehouston.com · mediodigitalrd.com
- [● 4 SOURCES] Russia condemned the arrest warrant as an act of vengeance by the Miami anti-Cuban lobby. cubaenresumen.org · nycaribnews.com · www.cubaheadlines.com · elchamuco.com.mx
- [● 7 SOURCES] Castro is charged with conspiracy to commit first-degree murder. tvn.com.ar · cubaenresumen.org · www.elpaisvallenato.com · nycaribnews.com · prensadehouston.com · +2 more
- [● 11 SOURCES] The charges relate to the shoot-down of two Brothers to the Rescue aircraft on February 24, 1996. mediodigitalrd.com · tvn.com.ar · cubaenresumen.org · www.elpaisvallenato.com · nycaribnews.com · +6 more
- [● 4 SOURCES] Cuba's President Miguel Díaz-Canel called the action a 'pathetic circus'. cubaenresumen.org · www.elpaisvallenato.com · horadopovo.com.br · www.radiohc.cu
- [● 9 SOURCES] China opposes the use of judicial measures to pressure Cuba. www.elpaisvallenato.com · almomento.net · horadopovo.com.br · wakeup.sg · www.cubaheadlines.com · +4 more