A US court has issued an arrest warrant for former Cuban leader Raúl Castro
A US court has issued an arrest warrant for former Cuban leader Raúl Castro in connection with the 1996 shooting down of two planes over the Straits of Florida. The incident resulted in the deaths of four people.
US court issues arrest warrant for former Cuban leader Raul Castro
Judge Adriana Fajardo Orshan signed an arrest warrant for former Cuban leader Raul Castro in connection with the 1996 destruction of two aircraft carrying humanitarian aid.
Two Cessna 337 light-engine aircraft belonging to the non-profit organization "Brothers to the Rescue" were shot down by the Cuban Air Force over the Straits of Florida in February 1996. They were participating in a search and rescue operation for Cuban refugees attempting to reach the United States. Four people died as a result of the incident — three US citizens and one Cuban citizen with a US permanent resident card.
According to the US version, the planes were shot down over international waters. Cuban representatives, however, stated that they had violated the country's airspace.
On May 20 of this year, formal charges were brought in the US against Raul Castro, who served as Defense Minister at the time of the incident, and five other individuals for four counts of murder, destruction of two aircraft, and conspiracy to kill US citizens.
The practical significance of this warrant for the US is to create a procedural basis to demand the extradition of Raul Castro and bring him to a federal court in Florida. Acting US Attorney General Todd Blanche said authorities will take measures to bring him to the country and expect his appearance in court "either voluntarily or otherwise."
The Cuban government, meanwhile, called the US accusations a "vile and shameful political provocation" and stated that the United States has neither legal grounds nor jurisdiction to put forward such charges.