Castro could be captured like Maduro, Trump administration hints

Key Points:

• The US Department of Justice has indicted former Cuban President Raúl Castro, 94, on murder charges related to the 1996 shooting down of two planes operated by a US-based Cuban exile group, Brothers to the Rescue, resulting in the deaths of three Americans and a permanent US resident.
• Acting US Attorney General Todd Blanche stated that Castro and five co-defendants also face charges of destruction of an aircraft and conspiracy to kill US nationals, and suggested that the US expects Castro to face justice either voluntarily or by other means.
• The announcement, made at Miami's Freedom Tower, highlighted the US government's commitment under President Trump to pursue justice for Americans killed abroad, marking the first time in nearly 70 years that senior Cuban regime leaders have been charged in the US for violence against American citizens.
• Cuban authorities have defended the 1996 incident by claiming the planes violated Cuban airspace and accused Brothers to the Rescue of provocative actions, while US-Cuba tensions have intensified recently amid discussions of regime change and US threats of military action following the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.
• US Senator Marco Rubio urged the Cuban people to demand new leadership and a free-market economy, prompting criticism from Cuba’s deputy foreign minister, who accused Rubio of dishonesty and justifying aggression against the Cuban people.