Quick Answer: Florida announced on Monday, October 19, 2026, that a judge has issued an arrest warrant for former Cuban leader Raúl Castro, 95, on one count of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder over the February 24, 1996 shootdown of two unarmed Brothers to the Rescue civilian planes, an attack that killed four people.
Florida has issued an arrest warrant for former Cuban leader Raúl Castro over a deadly attack that took place three decades ago. State Attorney General James Uthmeier announced on Monday that a Florida judge had signed the warrant charging Castro with conspiracy to commit first-degree murder in the 1996 shootdown of two unarmed civilian planes operated by the Miami-based exile group Brothers to the Rescue.
The four men killed were Carlos Costa, Pablo Morales, Mario de la Peña, and Armando Alejandre Jr. According to the affidavit cited by Florida officials, Castro — then Cuba's Minister of the Revolutionary Armed Forces and First Vice President — was a final decision-maker in the chain of command that authorized the shootdown.
Raul Castro Arrest Warrant: What the Florida Warrant Says
The warrant was signed by Chief Judge Ariana Fajardo Orshan of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit in Miami-Dade County. According to court documents obtained by the Miami Herald and Tampa Bay Times and reported by Anadolu Agency, the judge signed it on Friday, October 16, following an investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. The charge is one count of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder.
The affidavit behind the warrant states: "(There is) probable cause to believe the defendant, Raul Modesto Castro Ruz, agreed with others to commit first-degree murder of ... persons aboard (the Brothers to the Rescue) aircraft."
Announcing the warrant at Florida International University on Monday, Uthmeier said: "Raúl Castro ordered the murder of four Floridians in cold blood, and Florida will never stop pursuing accountability for that communist conspiracy."
The February 1996 Brothers to the Rescue Shootdown
On February 24, 1996, three unarmed Cessna aircraft operated by Brothers to the Rescue departed Opa-Locka Airport in Miami-Dade County. Two of the aircraft were destroyed by Cuban fighter jets with air-to-air missiles, killing all four people on board, Florida officials said. Anadolu Agency reports the aircraft were traveling away from Cuba and received no warning despite contact with Havana air traffic control.
Brothers to the Rescue was a Florida-based nonprofit formed by Cuban exiles opposed to the Cuban government. Its humanitarian flights had long been a point of tension between Havana and Miami.
Cuba has claimed the planes were in Cuban airspace and justified the shootdown as self-defense. The United States has maintained the aircraft were over international waters — a position later supported by the International Civil Aviation Organization, which concluded the incident occurred outside Cuban airspace. (Anadolu Agency dates the shootdown to February 24, 1996; the USA Today report dates it to February 25.)
How Florida Claims Jurisdiction Over a Cuban Leader
The affidavit answers the key legal question — how a Florida court can charge a former Cuban head of state — with an allegation of conspiracy carried out inside Florida. It argues the state has jurisdiction because two Cuban spies allegedly infiltrated Brothers to the Rescue in Miami and Key West, relayed flight information to Cuban authorities, and monitored the naval air station.
The affidavit also says the spy network instructed its informants not to fly with the group between February 24 and 27, 1996 — and that one informant left Florida and returned to Cuba on February 23, the day before the shootdown.
Why the Case Has Returned in 2026
The warrant is the second legal action against Castro this year over the incident. The U.S. Justice Department charged Castro in May with murder and conspiracy to kill, Anadolu Agency reported, and Florida's attorney general announced a state-level criminal investigation in March.
The renewed attention comes in the 30th anniversary year of the shootdown. The families of the four men killed have pressed for decades for accountability, and the affidavit's detailed account of an alleged Florida-based conspiracy gives state prosecutors a jurisdictional path that earlier efforts lacked.
Why It Matters
The warrant is one of the most dramatic state-level legal actions ever taken against a former foreign head of state. It puts the 1996 Brothers to the Rescue shootdown — an incident that froze U.S.-Cuba relations for years — back at the center of American politics, just as Washington weighs broader pressure on Havana.
It also tests how far American states will go in asserting jurisdiction over actions ordered by foreign governments. If the case advances, courts will have to weigh the conspiracy allegations against questions of foreign sovereignty and immunity — and the practical reality that Castro, 95, is outside U.S. custody.
What Happens Next
The warrant authorizes law enforcement to arrest Castro, but it does not mean he has been taken into custody. Legal observers will watch whether the state case proceeds alongside the May federal indictment, and whether further filings reveal more about the alleged spy network in Miami and Key West. For the families of the four men killed in 1996, Monday's announcement marked a milestone in a wait that has lasted three decades.
Key Takeaways
- Florida has issued an arrest warrant for former Cuban leader Raúl Castro, 95, on one count of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder.
- The warrant concerns the February 24, 1996 shootdown of two unarmed Brothers to the Rescue planes, which killed Carlos Costa, Pablo Morales, Mario de la Peña, and Armando Alejandre Jr.
- Chief Judge Ariana Fajardo Orshan of Miami-Dade's Eleventh Judicial Circuit signed the warrant on October 16; Attorney General James Uthmeier announced it on October 19.
- Florida claims jurisdiction through an alleged conspiracy in Miami and Key West, where Cuban spies allegedly infiltrated the exile group and relayed flight information.
- The state case follows a federal indictment in May and arrives in the 30th anniversary year of the shootdown.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Raúl Castro charged with in Florida?
One count of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder. The arrest warrant, signed by Chief Judge Ariana Fajardo Orshan, alleges Castro was a final decision-maker in the chain of command that authorized the 1996 shootdown. The allegations have not been proven in court.
Who were the four victims of the 1996 shootdown?
Carlos Costa, Pablo Morales, Mario de la Peña, and Armando Alejandre Jr. — all four were aboard the two unarmed Brothers to the Rescue planes destroyed by Cuban fighter jets on February 24, 1996. Anadolu Agency reported the victims included three U.S. citizens.
How can a Florida court charge a former Cuban leader?
The affidavit argues Florida has jurisdiction because the alleged conspiracy was partly carried out in the state: two Cuban spies allegedly infiltrated Brothers to the Rescue in Miami and Key West, relayed flight information to Havana, and monitored the naval air station.
What did Cuba say about the shootdown?
Cuba claimed the planes were inside Cuban airspace and justified the shootdown as self-defense. The United States maintained the aircraft were over international waters, and the International Civil Aviation Organization later concluded the incident occurred outside Cuban airspace.
Is Raúl Castro in custody?
No. The warrant authorizes Castro's arrest under the state case but does not mean he has been taken into custody. It was announced at a news conference at Florida International University in Miami on October 19, 2026.
How does the Florida case differ from the federal charges?
The U.S. Justice Department separately charged Castro in May with murder and conspiracy to kill over the same incident. The Florida case is a state-level prosecution following an investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, built on an alleged conspiracy carried out inside Florida.
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Sources
- USA Today — "Florida issues arrest warrant for former Cuban leader Raúl Castro" (October 19, 2026)
- Anadolu Agency — "Miami judge issues arrest warrant for Raul Castro over 1996 plane shootdown" (October 19, 2026)
- Palm Beach Post — "Florida issues arrest warrant for former Cuban leader Raúl Castro" (October 19, 2026)
- Miami Focal — "Florida judge authorizes arrest warrant for Raúl Castro over 1996 plane attack" (October 19, 2026)
- The Floridian — "Florida Announces Arrest Warrant for Former Cuban Leader Raul Castro" (October 19, 2026)
By GlobalDeskNews Staff | October 20, 2026