Live updates: DOJ indictment of Raúl Castro, Cuba’s former leader

Key Points:

• Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel condemned the US indictment of former leader Raúl Castro over the 1996 shootdown of Brothers to the Rescue planes, calling it a politically motivated move without legal basis and accusing the US of aggression and misinformation.
• The indictment alleges that Raúl Castro authorized the downing of civilian planes operated by Brothers to the Rescue, a group aiding Cuban defectors, and that Cuban spies infiltrated the organization and US military facilities to intimidate Cuban exiles.
• The US military announced the arrival of the USS Nimitz Carrier Strike Group to the Caribbean amid heightened tensions, with some officials viewing the indictment as a pretext for possible future military action against Cuba.
• Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche declined to explain the timing of unsealing the indictment, which coincided with Cuban Independence Day and was seen as a signal of US resolve to hold Cuban leaders accountable for the 1996 incident.
• The indictment has energized the Cuban exile community, with officials emphasizing justice for the victims and calling the charges a historic step toward accountability for violence against Americans by senior Cuban regime members.