The criminal indictment on Wednesday of Raul Castro, Cuba's former president, springs from the downing three decades ago of two civilian US planes by Cuban Air Force MiG fighters.

Thirty years ago, a Cuban fighter jet shot down two civilian planes operated by Florida-based exile group Brothers to the Rescue, an incident that inflamed U.S.-Cuba relations.

Former Cuban leader Raul Castro could be indicted for his alleged role in the shooting down of two civilian planes 30 years ago that killed three Americans and sent US-Cuba…