U.S. Taking Steps Toward Indictment of Former Cuban President Over 1996 Plane Shootdown

U.S. officials familiar with the matter said the government is taking steps to indict a former president of Cuba in connection with the country's 1996 shootdown of two planes operated by the humanitarian group Brothers to the Rescue. The potential indictment, which would need approval by a grand jury, is expected to focus on the deadly incident from 30 years ago.

A Justice Department spokesperson declined to comment on the matter. The plan comes as the U.S. increases pressure on the Cuban government. The Trump administration has threatened heavy tariffs on any country that exports oil to Cuba, which has contributed to energy shortages on the island as oil shipments have been largely cut off.

President Trump has pressed for major reforms in Cuba and has floated the idea of a "friendly takeover" of the country. The former president of Cuba formally stepped down as leader of the country's Communist Party in 2021 but remains a powerful figure there.

Cuba's former president is viewed as a representative for the 94-year-old and a key point of contact between the U.S. and Cuba. CIA Director John Ratcliffe met with him on Thursday, following an earlier U.S. visit last month. During the meeting, Ratcliffe personally delivered President Trump's message that the U.S. is "prepared to seriously engage on economic and security issues, but only if Cuba makes fundamental changes," according to a CIA official.

The effort involves federal and local law enforcement along with the U.S. Treasury Department and focuses on prosecutions involving economic crimes, drugs, violent crimes and immigration-related violations. Earlier this year, Florida's attorney general said at a news conference in March that he was reopening a shuttered state investigation into the 1996 plane incident.