U.S. Indicts Raúl Castro and Five Cuban Pilots Over 1996 Shootdown That Killed Four Americans

Federal prosecutors in the United States have filed criminal charges against former Cuban president Raúl Castro and five Cuban military pilots for their alleged roles in the Feb. 24, 1996, shootdown of two civilian planes flown by Miami-based exiles, an attack that killed four U.S. citizens.

What the Indictment Alleges

The indictment, unsealed Wednesday, alleges that Castro—who was Cuba’s defense minister at the time—and five members of the Cuban Revolutionary Air and Air Defense Force conspired to "terrorize, intimidate and retaliate" against members of the exile community by targeting aircraft operated by the group Brothers to the Rescue. Prosecutors say the pilots trained in and around February 1996 "to find, track, pursue and intercept" planes off the Cuban coast.

According to charging documents, Lt. Col. Lorenzo Alberto Pérez-Pérez and another pilot (not charged) shot down two civilian aircraft over international airspace on Feb. 24, 1996, killing four Americans. The indictment says other named pilots pursued a third plane but did not destroy it.

FILE - Some of the boats from the flotilla head for open waters March 2, 1996 off Key West, Fla., carrying Cuban Americans to the site of the downing of two Brothers to the Rescue planes by Cuban fighters. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File)(AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

“We tried to dissuade their crew members, but they continued to dangerously approach the Cuban coast, and then we received the order to interrupt the flight of the first aircraft,”

—Lt. Col. Lorenzo Alberto Pérez-Pérez, quoted on Cuban state television days after the incident.

Names, Custody and Prior Cases

The five pilots named in the indictment are Lt. Col. Lorenzo Alberto Pérez-Pérez; José Fidel Gual Barzaga; Lt. Col. Luis Raúl González-Pardo Rodríguez; Emilio José Palacio Blanco; and Raúl Simanca Cárdenas.

González-Pardo Rodríguez, 65, is the only defendant currently in U.S. custody. He was previously indicted in November on charges that he made false statements on an immigration form—allegedly denying prior weapons training and military service—and pleaded guilty in February; he is scheduled to be sentenced later this month. Pérez-Pérez was previously indicted by U.S. authorities in August 2003 on counts including murder, aircraft destruction and conspiracy.

Charges and Allegations About Command

The federal indictment charges all six — Raúl Castro and the five pilots — with one count of conspiracy to kill U.S. nationals. In addition, Castro and Pérez-Pérez face counts of murder and destruction of aircraft. Prosecutors allege the pilots acted under Castro’s command and with direction from an additional co-conspirator who has not been charged in this case.

FILE - Cuba's President Raul Castro listens to the Cuban and Venezuelan national anthems during his welcome ceremony at the Miraflores presidential palace, March 17, 2015, in Caracas, Venezuela. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos, File)(AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)

Prosecutors say Pérez-Pérez and Emilio Palacio Blanco launched from San Antonio de los Baños airfield near Havana in separate jets; roughly 20 minutes later Pérez-Pérez requested authorization to engage the exile aircraft. The indictment includes an undated photograph of González-Pardo Rodríguez and Pérez-Pérez beside a fighter jet.

Context

Brothers to the Rescue, a Miami-based exile organization, had flown missions near Cuba to locate rafters and, earlier in January 1996, dropped pro-democracy leaflets over the island—actions U.S. prosecutors say prompted the Cuban government to authorize the use of lethal force. The case underscores long-standing tensions between the U.S. and Cuba and could have legal and diplomatic ramifications as the Justice Department pursues accountability for the deaths of U.S. citizens.

Associated Press writers contributed to this report.