Declassified 1996 Records Detail Cuba Shootdown That Killed 4 as Raul Castro Indictment Nears
Updated
Updated · National Security Archive · May 19
Declassified 1996 Records Detail Cuba Shootdown That Killed 4 as Raul Castro Indictment Nears
4 articles · Updated · National Security Archive · May 19
Newly published U.S. records show FAA and State Department officials warned for months before the Feb. 24, 1996 shootdown that Cuba might fire on Brothers to the Rescue flights.
The documents say Jose Basulto’s group repeatedly entered Cuban airspace, dropped thousands of anti-government leaflets, filed false flight plans and ignored FAA warnings, while the agency failed to ground the flights.
On the day two unarmed Cessnas were downed by Cuban MiGs, transcripts show Havana controllers warned the pilots they were entering a dangerous zone north of Havana; four Cuban Americans were killed.
The release comes as the Justice Department prepares to indict Raul Castro, then Cuba’s defense minister and the top military officer in Fidel Castro’s chain of command, over the attack.
The files, obtained through FOIA and published by the National Security Archive, add evidence that U.S. officials feared a preventable crisis but acted decisively only after the shootdown.
US officials knew Cuba would shoot, yet the planes flew. Why was a preventable tragedy allowed to happen in 1996?
Justice for pilots or a new Cold War move? Why is the US indicting Raul Castro for a 30-year-old crime now?
A line was crossed 18 miles from Cuba's coast. When does a nation defending its border commit an international crime?
Indicting Raúl Castro in 2026: The U.S. Pursuit of Justice for the 1996 Brothers to the Rescue Shootdown
Overview
In May 2026, the U.S. Department of Justice sought to indict Raúl Castro for his alleged role as Cuba’s defense minister in the 1996 shootdown of two Brothers to the Rescue planes over international waters, which killed four people, including three Americans. Evidence, such as radio recordings, suggests Castro ordered the attack, with Cuban MiG pilots celebrating the downing of the aircraft they knew had repeatedly flown near Cuba. This legal action marks a major step in a decades-long pursuit of justice for the victims and highlights the ongoing tension and complex history between the U.S. and Cuba.