The United States is taking steps to prosecute former Cuban President Raul Castro, according to a source familiar with the situation.
The potential charges involve Castro, who is now 94, and reportedly stem from a meeting CIA Director John Ratcliffe had with Cuba’s Interior Ministry officials on Thursday.
This news was initially reported by CBS News.
Raul Castro, the younger brother of Fidel Castro, who died in 2016, is said to be facing charges connected to the downing of a plane three decades ago. A U.S. official explained that the indictment, which will need approval from a grand jury, focuses on a tragic incident from 1996 where a plane operated by the humanitarian group Brothers to the Rescue was shot down over Cuban airspace.
During his trip to Havana, Ratcliffe met with various Cuban officials, including Interior Minister Lázaro Álvarez Casas and the head of Cuba’s intelligence services. He explicitly conveyed President Trump’s message that the U.S. is willing to seriously engage on economic and security issues, but that fundamental changes in Cuba are necessary.
A CIA official noted that the discussions included topics such as intelligence cooperation, economic stability, and security, emphasizing that Cuba should no longer be a safe haven for adversaries in the region.
Ratcliffe also suggested that the current administration offers a genuine chance for collaboration, encouraging Cuban officials to take Trump seriously.
Earlier this month, during an event in Palm Beach, Florida, President Trump made a lighthearted comment about the U.S. potentially “occupying” Cuba “almost immediately.”
“Cuba has a problem. Let’s get one thing sorted out first. I prefer to complete what’s at hand,” he remarked.
In recent developments, the Trump administration has tightened sanctions against nations and companies engaged in business with Cuba, particularly targeting oil suppliers, adding pressure on the Cuban government amid ongoing fuel shortages and power outages.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the Department of Justice for additional comments.
