Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier secures state arrest warrant for Raúl Castro
Florida has issued a state arrest warrant for former Cuban leader Raúl Castro on a no‑bond charge of conspiracy to commit first‑degree murder tied to the 1996 shootdown of a “Brothers to the Rescue” aircraft. The warrant, signed in Miami‑Dade County, directs authorities to arrest Castro immediately and alleges that a federal and a state investigation have uncovered evidence that the former Cuban president and his brother, former leader Fidel Castro, ordered the fatal strike.
The warrant was obtained by Fox News Digital and is set to be announced Monday morning at a press conference by Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier and Governor Ron DeSantis. Uthmeier’s office reopened the state’s inquiry into Castro after he took office, and the Office of Statewide Prosecution will now take jurisdiction over the multi‑circuit criminal conspiracy case.
The Charge and the Incident
On February 24, 1996, a civilian, unarmed aircraft operated by the Miami‑based “Brothers to the Rescue” organization was shot down over international waters, killing four men: Carlos Costa, Pablo Morales, Mario de la Peña, and Armando Alejandre Jr. The group had been conducting flights that searched for Cuban migrants lost at sea and, by the mid‑1990s, had also dropped pro‑democracy leaflets over Cuban territory.
The state warrant alleges that the plan to shoot down the aircraft passed through the chain of command in the Cuban foreign intelligence service and culminated in a decision by Raúl Castro and Fidel Castro to authorize the attack. In a recorded statement made months after the incident, the 95‑year‑old Castro said:
“I made it clear that this had to be decentralized if we wanted it to do its job, and five generals were given the authority. I used to say: Try to shoot them down over our territory. But they would come into Havana and leave. Of course, with a missile shot like that, plane against plane, what comes down is a ball of fire, and it is going to fall on top of the city. So I said: Fine, shoot them down at sea when they show up, and those who have the authority are not to consult anyone.”
The warrant itself reads:
“The investigation revealed evidence of a conspiracy to kill persons aboard BTTR aircraft. The deaths of Carlos Costa, Pablo Morales, Mario de la Peña, and Armando Alejandre Jr. were the object of that conspiracy.”
No Bond, Immediate Arrest, and Extradition
The Miami‑Dade County judge found probable cause that Castro conspired to commit first‑degree murder, and the warrant carries a “no‑bond” designation. It authorizes Florida law enforcement to detain Castro if he is located within state borders. Should authorities locate him outside Florida, the warrant allows the state to pursue extradition and require his return to face the felony charge.
Castro’s name already appears on a separate federal indictment over the same incident. The Cuban government maintains that the “Brothers to the Rescue” flights violated Cuban airspace and that Cuba was acting in defense of its sovereignty. U.S. officials have countered that the flights were unarmed and that the Cuban military deliberately targeted a civilian aircraft.
Reactions and Next Steps
The Florida Attorney General’s announcement is expected to reinforce the Trump administration’s earlier indictment of Castro, which prosecutors described as a “no‑bond” charge that underscores the gravity of the alleged conspiracy. Governor DeSantis has said he will be present at the press briefing, signaling the state’s commitment to pursuing the case.
The warrant’s issuance marks a new chapter in efforts to hold the former Cuban leader accountable for the 1996 tragedy, a case that has long resonated in South Florida’s Cuban‑American community. Whether the state can compel Castro’s extradition or whether he will face trial in the United States remains to be seen, but the issuance of the warrant signals that Florida is willing to pursue the matter to the fullest extent of its legal powers.
