What Happened
The US justice department is reportedly preparing to indict aging Cuban leader Raúl Castro in the coming shooting aircraft three decades ago.
The reported charges, approved by a , emerged as the director travelled officials in Havana.
Castro, 94, stepped Communist Party leader in 2021, ending his family's a century in power. country for 15 years, stepping brother, Fidel, resigned.
The potential indictment is the latest move in a US pressure campaign that has included an oil blockade and widespread sanctions.
Why It Matters
The charges centre on the 1996 downing of two planes operated activist-humanitarian group Brothers to the Rescue.
Unnamed US Department of Justice (DoJ) officials indictment Wednesday.
Asked on Friday about the reported indictment plan, President Donald Trump told reporters : "I' comment on it."
He added: "But [Cubans] need help, . a declining country. They are really a nation, a country in decline."
What Comes Next
Trump has issued an oil blockade against Cuba, which has exacerbated fuel shortages. island's energy minister acknowledged , in essence, .
Potential charges against Raúl Castro were unclear, but officials said the investigation centred on an attack planes, which happened on 24 February 1996 president and Raúl was armed forces minister.
Brothers to the Rescue, a searched for rafts carrying migrants , had previously dropped anti-Castro leaflets .
The Cuban government - including Fidel Castro, 2016 - said Brothers to the Rescue had repeatedly violated Cuban airspace, although the International Civil Aviation Organization found the attack international waters.
In March, the attorney general in Florida announced in a news conference reopening an investigation into Raúl Castro's alleged incident.
Florida's Governor Ron DeSantis praised the possible criminal charges on Friday, calling them "long overdue".
officially commented on the reports of an indictment, but Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez struck a defiant tone on Friday.
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