Trump expects no “escalation” with Cuba after US Justice Department indicts Raúl Castro for shooting down two planes in 1996 | Today’s news

Hours after the US Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the indictment of former Cuban leader Raúl Castro, President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he does not foresee further “escalation” between the US and Cuba, USA Today reported.

The Justice Department has charged Castro with conspiring to kill American nationals in an attack on civilian pilots trying to rescue people fleeing Cuba on rafts, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche announced today. At a public event in Florida, Blanche said, “If you kill Americans, we will hunt you down, no matter who you are, no matter what title you hold, and in this case, no matter how much time has passed.”

Read also | Raúl Castro charged by US with murder for shooting down two planes in 1996 in 1996

Trump’s remarks on Castro’s impeachment

Asked by reporters on Wednesday whether Americans should expect an “escalation” of tensions with Cuba now that Castro has been indicted, the US president said: “It won’t escalate. I don’t think it’s necessary.”

“Look, the place is falling apart. It’s a mess,” Trump said. “They really lost control of Cuba. He made the remarks while returning from a trip to Connecticut where he gave the commencement speech at the Coast Guard Academy.

The US president even called Castro’s indictment a “big moment” for Cuban exiles. He told reporters that the Justice Department’s indictment of Castro was a “very big moment” for Cuban-Americans and the exile community, adding, “I think it’s a very big day, a very important day.”

Read also | US plans to indict former Cuban president — 94-year-old Raul Castro: Report

Trump, however, did not comment on whether he would take military action to bring Castro out of Cuba because the island nation does not extradite people to Washington.

The charges against Castro, Fidel Castro’s brother, date back to 1996 and accuse him of ordering Cuban fighter pilots to shoot down two civilian planes working under the humanitarian group Brothers to the Rescue (BTTR). Four BTTR members were killed.

Cuban leader criticizes US for accusing Castro

Shortly after the Justice Department announced the charges against Castro, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, the top leader of Havana, in a post on X called Washington’s decision “a political maneuver, lacking any legal basis, aimed only at filling out the fabricated documentation they use to justify the folly of military aggression.”

Tensions between the US and Cuba are escalating

The decision to indict Castro and five others on murder and conspiracy charges comes amid heightened concerns about possible US military action in Cuba after Trump repeated his threats against the island nation. In April, USA Today reported that the Pentagon had accelerated planning for a possible military operation.

The possibility of a military operation in Cuba was announced after the Trump administration sent troops to Venezuela in January to capture its president, Nicolás Maduro, after it secretly indicted the Latin American leader. Since then, Trump has turned to Havana, waging a months-long campaign of pressure on the island nation’s government and its elites through an oil blockade and targeted sanctions to push for a deal that could lead to improved economic conditions in the country and the release of political prisoners.

Read also | Trump is trying to send a warning to Cuba about a takeover after imposing new sanctions

Why is Raúl Castro being impeached?

According to the Department of Justice, Castro was charged along with Raul Modesto Castro Ruz of Holguín, along with Lorenzo Alberto Pérez-Pérez of Las Tunas, Emilio José Palacio Blanco, José Fidel Gual Barzaga, Raul Simanca Cárdenas and Luis Raul González-Pardo Rodriguez.

The six men were indicted for their alleged role in the downing of two unarmed US civilian aircraft operated by BTTR, also known as Hermanos al Rescate, over international waters on February 24, 1996.

According to the indictment, on February 24, 1996, three BTTR planes departed South Florida en route to Cuba. Cuban military fighter jets, operating under a command structure overseen by Raúl Castro, reportedly fired air-to-air missiles at two civilian Cessna planes, shooting them down without warning while they were outside Cuban airspace. The incident resulted in the death of four American citizens, including three US citizens: Carlos Costa, Armando Alejandre Jr., Mario de la Peña, and Pablo Morales.

According to the indictment, Cuban military pilots conducted training exercises designed to locate and intercept slow-moving aircraft weeks before the attack. On February 24, three aircraft took off from Opa-locka Airport on a scheduled humanitarian flight and two aircraft, tail numbers N2456S and N5485S, were reportedly targeted and shot down in international airspace.

However, it remains to be seen whether Castro will be extradited to the US or whether the Trump administration will use force to remove him from the island nation.

Key things

• The indictment of Raúl Castro marks a major step in US-Cuba relations and highlights ongoing tensions.
• President Trump’s response suggests a desire to manage tensions rather than escalate them, despite potential military options.
• The historical context of the indictment sheds light on the complexity of US-Cuba interactions and the legacy of past conflicts.