Florida Issues State Arrest Warrant for Raul Castro Over Shootdown of Two Planes

In a significant development, Florida has issued a state arrest warrant for former Cuban President Raul Castro Ruz, 95, in connection with the 1996 shooting down of two Cessna C-337 aircraft belonging to the Brothers to the Rescue organization. The attack resulted in the deaths of four Americans: Armando Alejandre, Carlos Costa, Pablo Morales, and Mario de la Pena.

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced the charges, stating that Raul Castro ordered the "cold-blooded murder of four Floridians," and Florida will not stop seeking justice.

The incident occurred on February 24, 1996, during Raul Castro's tenure as Cuba's defense minister. Cuban Air Force MiG fighter jets targeted the three aircraft, which were conducting humanitarian missions to locate Cuban rafters and provide them with supplies before alerting the U.S. Coast Guard. Two aircraft were shot down, while a third managed to escape into international waters.

In 2026, Cuban journalist Wilfredo Cancio released a recording in which Raul Castro admitted to giving the order to shoot down the planes. This evidence, along with the testimony of Florida's Eleventh Judicial Circuit Judge Ariana Fajardo Orshan, led to the issuance of a state arrest warrant without bail against Raul Castro. U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Jason Reding Quiñones emphasized that the case would be prosecuted by both federal and state authorities, with the U.S. government standing in solidarity with Florida in seeking justice for the victims.

Miami-Dade Police Chief Rosie Cordero-Stutz and local Republican politicians attended the press conference, acknowledging the decades-long pursuit of justice by the victims' families and the Cuban American community. They emphasized that the passage of time should not diminish the pursuit of justice, acknowledging the profound loss suffered by the families and the community.