Florida Warrant Charges Raúl Castro in 1996 Shootdown

A Miami-Dade judge has signed a no-bond Florida arrest warrant charging former Cuban leader Raúl Castro with conspiracy to commit first-degree murder over the 1996 shootdown of two civilian planes that killed four people. The warrant, signed October 16, finds probable cause to believe Castro participated in a conspiracy connected to the deaths. A probable-cause finding is not a determination of guilt. The charge is brought under Florida law and is separate from a federal case in which Castro also faces charges related to the shootdown. The victims were Carlos Costa, Pablo Morales, Mario de la Peña and Armando Alejandre Jr. They were aboard aircraft operated by Brothers to the Rescue, a Miami-based group that searched for Cuban migrants at sea. The planes were shot down on February 24, 1996. According to the warrant, investigators found evidence of a plan to target people aboard Brothers to the Rescue aircraft. The document alleges that the plan moved through Cuba’s military chain of command and identifies Raúl Castro and his late brother, Fidel Castro, as final authorities. It also cites a recorded statement in which Raúl Castro described authorizing military leaders to shoot...