Justice Department Indicts Raúl Castro Over 1996 Aircraft Shootdown

The United States Department of Justice unveiled an indictment this week charging Raúl Castro and others in connection with the deaths of four men after Cuban MiG jets destroyed two civilian planes over international waters near Cuba in 1996. Prosecutors said the aircraft were outside Cuban territory and heading away from the island when they were attacked.

The planes belonged to the group Brothers to the Rescue.

Several organizations linked to businessman Neville Roy Singham issued statements condemning the indictment. The groups included the Party for Socialism and Liberation, The People’s Forum, Code Pink, and Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research.

Code Pink, co-founded by Singham’s wife Jodie Evans, said the indictment was fabricated to justify military action against Cuba. The group later called the case a “sham” and argued that Cuba had the right to respond to airspace violations. The Party for Socialism and Liberation described the charges as a pretext for aggression against a sovereign nation.

Its affiliated outlet Liberation News stated that Cuba acted lawfully under international law. Manolo De Los Santos and Vijay Prashad, both described as figures within the Singham-linked activist network, issued statements praising Castro and accusing the United States of hypocrisy.

Cuban Government and U.S.

Statements BreakThrough News, another Singham-linked outlet, promoted interviews with Cuban leader Miguel Díaz-Canel that framed the indictment as an attempt to justify aggression against Cuba. Earlier this year, leaders from the People’s Forum and allied groups traveled to Havana and pledged solidarity with the Cuban government.

President Trump said the Cuban regime’s leadership had enriched itself while ordinary citizens suffered. He added that military leaders had shown zero care for the prosperity of the Cuban people.