The Department of Justice on Wednesday announced murder charges against former Cuban President and longtime Defense Minister Raúl Castro, 94.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche stated during a press conference in Miami on Wednesday that a federal grand jury charged Castro and five co-defendants with conspiracy to kill U.S. nationals, destruction of aircraft, and four counts of murder, in connection with a 1996 incident where Cuban jets shot down humanitarian flights of the Cuban exile group Brothers to the Rescue.
Elected officials in Florida’s Cuban American communities on Wednesday praised the Justice department and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
“Raúl Castro may be 94 years old, but justice has no expiration date,” Florida state Rep. Juan Porras told the Daily Signal. “The United States is moving to indict him for crimes that tore families apart, just like mine.”
Porras added that the current administration “is doing what no administration before had the courage to do,” calling the indictment “the first step toward a free Cuba.”
Cuban American and Vice-Mayor of West Miami Ivan Chavez Jr. added that the charges carry deep significance for Cuban Americans.
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“As vice mayor of the City of West Miami and as a proud Cuban American, this indictment carries tremendous significance for our community,” he told the Daily Signal. “It sends a clear message that America, under President Donald Trump and West Miami’s own hometown hero, Secretary Marco Rubio, will no longer tolerate or appease the brutal communist Castro regime.”
He said the case is personal for many Cuban exiles.
“For many in Miami’s Cuban exile community, this is deeply personal,” he said. “It is a reminder of the countless lives destroyed by the dictatorship and of the innocent heroes of Brothers to the Rescue who were murdered for standing up for freedom and human dignity.”
He added that the volunteers’ sacrifice “will never be forgotten” and described the indictment as a “long-overdue step toward justice, accountability, and ultimately a free Cuba.”
Orlando Cicilia, a Cuban American community advocate and president of National Victory Strategies, echoed those remarks.
“This indictment brings renewed attention to the many atrocities committed by the Castro regime over the past 67 years,” Cicilia told the Daily Signal. “It marks another step toward justice for the families whose loved ones were murdered 30 years ago.”
Cicilia said the charges highlight the broader legacy of repression under the Cuban government, pointing to decades of political imprisonment, censorship, and economic hardship.
“For many Cuban families, both on the island and in exile, this is about more than the past,” he said. “It is about truth, justice, and the hope that the Cuban people may one day live in freedom.”
Miguel Granda, president of the Miami Young Republicans and a candidate for the Florida House of Representatives, called the indictment a “long-overdue moment of accountability.”
“For decades, his regime has inflicted profound suffering on the Cuban people and spread authoritarian governance across Latin America,” Granda told the Daily Signal. “This is a historic milestone for Cubans, Cuban Americans, and all who believe in freedom in the region.”
Granda added that the United States “must remain steadfast in holding such regimes to account.”
The indictment follows earlier federal charges brought by a New York grand jury against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro for narcotrafficking.
“It’s a step in the right direction and helps expose the Cuban regime,” Cicilia said.
Reuters reported Wednesday morning that Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez said that “despite the (U.S.) embargo, sanctions, and threats of the use of force, Cuba continues on a path of sovereignty toward its socialist development.”
The Justice Department announced the unsealed charges on May 20, formerly Cuban Independence Day, as part of a ceremony at Miami’s Freedom Tower, a symbol for Cuban Americans who left the communist country. The tower is referred to as “the Ellis Island of the South.”
This story is developing and may be updated.
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