MIAMI (AP) — The Justice Department was expected to announce a criminal case Wednesday against former Cuban President Raúl Castro as the Trump administration escalates pressure on the socialist government, according to two people familiar with the matter.Federal prosecutors in Miami were preparing an indictment related to Castro’s alleged role in the 1996 downing of two planes operated by the Miami-based exile group Brothers to the Rescue. Castro, now 94, was Cuba’s defense minister at the time.The expected charges include murder and destruction of an airplane, one of the people familiar with the matter said. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the case ahead of the announcement.Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and other top Justice Department officials were expected to be in Miami on Wednesday for a ceremony to honor those killed in the shootdown.
President Donald Trump has been threatening military action in Cuba ever since U.S. forces captured the Cuban government’s longtime patron, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. After ousting Maduro, the White House ordered a blockade that choked off fuel shipments to Cuba, leading to severe blackouts, food shortages and an economic collapse across the island.
