U.S. moving to indict Cuba's Raúl Castro, sources say
CBS News • • nation
Key Points:
- The U.S. is preparing to indict Raúl Castro, former Cuban president, over the 1996 shootdown of humanitarian planes operated by Brothers to the Rescue, pending grand jury approval.
- This move is part of broader U.S. pressure on Cuba, including threats of heavy tariffs on countries exporting oil to Cuba and demands for major reforms.
- Raúl Castro remains influential in Cuba despite stepping down in 2021, with his grandson Raulito acting as a key liaison between the U.S. and Cuba.
- CIA Director John Ratcliffe recently met with Raulito to convey that the U.S. is willing to engage on economic and security issues only if Cuba makes fundamental changes.
- U.S. law enforcement and Treasury initiatives are targeting Cuban Communist Party leaders for various crimes, while Florida officials have reopened investigations related to the 1996 plane incident.