The United States, with “America First” President Donald Trump at the helm, along with his anti-Castro Cuban-American Secretary of State Marco Rubio, has been putting the pressure on the communist regime founded in 1959 by that infamous revolutionary, Fidel Castro. In an executive order issued in May, the president deemed the island country, which is only 90 miles off the Florida Keys, an “unusual and extraordinary threat,” and the administration has been busy since slamming them with sanctions and cutting off their oil supplies.
Now the U.S. is reportedly upping the ante even more, and is moving to indict nonagenarian (over 90) former president Raúl Castro, brother of Fidel, for his role in downing two humanitarian planes in 1996, killing four.
The U.S. is taking steps to indict Raúl Castro, the 94-year-old former president of Cuba and brother of Fidel, in connection with the downing of planes 30 years ago, according to U.S. officials familiar with the matter. https://t.co/OqeBa8WFAt pic.twitter.com/bLMQYNlzvp
— CBS News (@CBSNews) May 14, 2026
Although Raúl stepped down from the role of president in 2018, he is still seen as a major player in the communist regime even at the age of 94, and his grandson Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez Castro — “Raulito,” who serves as the Ministry of the Interior — is viewed as a power player who is often a key contact with the U.S.
It’s a full-court press by the American government:
The potential indictment — which would need to be approved by a grand jury — is expected to focus on Cuba’s deadly 1996 shootdown of planes operated by humanitarian group Brothers to the Rescue.
The plan comes as the U.S. heaps pressure on the Cuban government. The Trump administration has threatened heavy tariffs on any country that exports oil to Cuba, leading to energy shortages as oil shipments are largely cut off. President Trump has pressed for major reforms in Cuba and has floated a “friendly takeover” of the country.
The pressure on Cuba began to pick up in January, after the U.S. military removed Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from power and flew him to New York to face drug charges. Venezuela was a key partner of Cuba’s before the operation.
MORE: THE ESSEX FILES: Rubio Tightens the Noose on Cuba While Jayapal Plays Shadow Secretary of State
Trump Slaps New May Day Sanctions on Cuban Regime
Florida GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis is all in:
Let ‘er rip, it’s been a long time coming! https://t.co/HPGk2nT565
— Ron DeSantis (@RonDeSantis) May 15, 2026
Although the shoot-down happened almost 30 years ago, America has not forgotten. A humanitarian group was patrolling the Florida Straits searching for Cuban rafters trying to reach the U.S. when they were taken out by Cuban Air Force MiG fighter jets.
The 1996 shootdown of two civilian planes operated by the exile group Brothers to the Rescue remains one of the most politically charged episodes in modern U.S.-Cuba relations – and one in which some U.S. officials are still pressing for criminal accountability three decades later…
Tensions between the United States and Cuba have focused on the incident for decades, but the potential for indictments of Cuban officials gained new momentum this year after Trump ordered up a snatch-and-grab operation on Venezuela’s former president Nicolás Maduro. Ever since, Trump has warned that Cuba is next, while hinting at potential military action.
The República de Cuba has been a thorn in the side of the United States for 67 years. As with so many things on the foreign stage, though, Donald Trump is severely shaking things up and taking an entirely new approach from his predecessors.
WARNING SHOTS FIRED: Justice Dept. Asks Court to Strip Naturalization From Felon, Former US Ambassador Who Spied for Cuba
Trump Drops a Cuba Bombshell — Joke or Warning Shot?
Raúl Castro may be rethinking his life choices right about now.
Editor’s Note: Thanks to President Trump and his administration’s bold leadership, we are respected on the world stage, and our enemies are being put on notice.
Help us continue to report on the administration’s peace through strength foreign policy and its successes. Join RedState VIP and use promo code FIGHT to receive 60% off your membership.
