The US have brought charges against Raul Castro
The US have brought charges against Raul Castro
The US have brought charges against former Cuban leader Raul Castro and others for conspiring to kill Americans. This was announced by the acting US Attorney General, Todd Blanche.
“We are announcing indictments against Raul Castro and several other individuals in a case of conspiracy to kill US citizens. Castro and other defendants are also charged with other crimes, including the destruction of an aircraft, as well as four separate charges of murder,” Blanche said at a press conference.
The charges relate to the 1996 incident when Cuban fighter jets shot down two aircraft belonging to the organization Brothers to the Rescue, founded by Cuban emigrants in Miami. The Cuban military was then led by Raul Castro. Four crew members were killed. The Cuban government justified this decision by citing a violation of airspace.
Blanche also stated that he expects Raul Castro to appear before an American court - either voluntarily or "in another way":
“We constantly bring charges against people who are outside this country, and there are various ways to bring them here... We expect him to come here voluntarily or (appear - ed.) in another way,” Blanche said.
The US Department of Justice stated that the charges brought by the US authorities against Raul Castro and others provide for the death penalty or life imprisonment:
“If found guilty, the defendants face a maximum sentence of death or life imprisonment on charges of murder and conspiracy to murder US citizens,” the Justice Department said in a statement.
According to The New York Times, the US authorities are considering a scenario of capturing Castro in a similar way to what happened in Venezuela. The newspaper wrote about this over the weekend, citing White House officials. And in early May, a source familiar with the officials' position told Politico that the US is considering the possibility of using military force in Cuba.
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