OAN Staff Chloe Hauxwell and Sophia Flores
12:12 PM – Thursday, May 21, 2026
President Donald Trump celebrated the unsealing of the federal indictment against Cuba’s former leader, Raúl Castro, calling the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) move a historic breakthrough.
While speaking to reporters on Wednesday, the president characterized the development as a major step for Cuban families devastated by the regime.
“I think this is a very big day, very important day,” Trump said. “It’s a very big moment.”
The historic murder charges stem from a 1996 incident, in which a Cuban fighter jet shot down two Cessna aircraft operated by Brothers to the Rescue, an exile group that searched for Cubans attempting to flee the island nation on rafts.
Four people aboard the planes were killed, including three American citizens and one permanent U.S. resident. Following the shootdown, the United States alleged that Cuba had violated international law.
President Trump noted that while the U.S. had extensive intelligence expertise when it came to Cuba, the focus remains on the population rather than on military action.
“We’re freeing up Cuba,” Trump declared. “We have Cuba on our mind.”
The White House remarks follow a stern warning from Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche in Miami, Florida, who stated that the 94-year-old Castro “will show up here by his own will or by another way.”
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