Indictment of former Cuban president includes 5 fighter jet pilots
AP News • • nation
Key Points:
- Former Cuban President Raúl Castro and five Cuban fighter pilots have been federally charged in the U.S. for their roles in the 1996 downing of civilian planes operated by Miami-based exile group Brothers to the Rescue.
- The indictment accuses Castro, then defense minister, and the pilots of conspiring to terrorize and retaliate against the exile community by shooting down aircraft that flew pro-democracy leaflets over Cuba.
- Lt. Col. Lorenzo Alberto Pérez-Pérez is alleged to have shot down two planes in international airspace, killing four Americans, and admitted to following orders after warnings were ignored.
- Lt. Col. Luis Raúl González-Pardo Rodríguez is the only defendant in U.S. custody, having pleaded guilty to making false statements on immigration documents; the other pilots remain at large.
- Charges include conspiracy to kill U.S. nationals, with Castro and Pérez-Pérez also indicted for murder and destruction of aircraft, as part of the Trump administration's ongoing efforts to pressure Cuba's government.