The state of Florida has issued a no-bond arrest warrant for former Cuban leader Raúl Castro in connection with the 1996 shootdown of two Brothers to the Rescue planes. The warrant was signed by a Miami-Dade County judge.
Four men were killed when the planes were downed in international waters while on a humanitarian mission: Armando Alejandre Jr., Mario de la Peña, Pablo Morales and Carlos Costa. Castro, now 95, already faces federal charges. In May, the U.S. Department of Justice announced a murder charge against him in Miami.
According to the warrant, the men were transmitting flight data and surveilling the Naval Air Station in Key West. Officials said there is enough probable cause to believe a conspiracy took place in Florida and that Castro gave the orders. If he is arrested outside the state, authorities said they will seek full extradition.
U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche said the government “will not forget its citizens.” Family members of the victims welcomed the step, though one said the justice was “not total.” Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier is expected to announce the warrant Monday morning at Florida International University.
