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Or sign-in if you have an account.Jose Basulto, founder of the Cuban exile group Brothers to the Rescue, stands next to a plane in Miami in an August 2006 file photo. Photo by Roberto Schmidt /AFPThe criminal indictment on Wednesday of Raul Castro, Cuba’s former president, springs from the downing three decades ago of two civilian U.S. planes by Cuban Air Force MiG fighters.Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.Unlimited online access to National Post.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.Unlimited online access to National Post.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorCastro, the brother of longtime leader Fidel Castro, was defence minister when the two Cessnas belonging to a Cuban-American exile group were shot down by air-to-air missiles in international airspace.Four members of a Miami-based anti-Castro humanitarian group known as Brothers to the Rescue were killed, including three Americans. Their bodies were never found.Get a dash of perspective along with the trending news of the day in a very readable format.By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.The next issue of NP Posted will soon be in your inbox.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try againAccording to a report by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, the pilots of the Cessnas were not given any warning before being shot out of the sky by the air force jets.Relatives of the victims, U.S. lawmakers and members of the Cuban exile community in the United States have pushed for years for Castro to face charges.The 94-year-old Castro is charged in the indictment unsealed by a federal district court in Florida with conspiracy to kill U.S. nationals, four counts of murder and two counts of destroying aircraft.The charges come as U.S. President Donald Trump ramps up the pressure on Cuba’s communist leadership, even saying recently that the United States would be “taking over” the Caribbean island.Prior to the Feb. 24, 1996 incident, unarmed Brothers to the Rescue planes would drop anti-Castro leaflets over Havana and help the U.S. Coast Guard locate Cubans who were fleeing the island for the Florida coast aboard makeshift rafts and boats.The group was founded in 1991 by Jose Basulto, a Cuban exile, licensed pilot and veteran of the Bay of Pigs invasion.Basulto was flying a third plane on the day of the shootdown but was not targeted.Basulto, 85, told USA Today in a recent interview that he has been haunted for years by seeing his fellow Brothers to the Rescue members shot down.“I have navigated these years with a pain in my heart, seeing that a crime remained unpunished,” he told the newspaper.Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. 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