Raul Modesto Castro Ruz, 1996 Shoot-Down, Florida 1996

MIAMI, FL - 1996

The United States unsealed a superseding indictment charging Raul Modesto Castro Ruz, 94, of Holguin, Cuba; along with Lorenzo Alberto Perez-Perez of Las Tunas, Cuba; Emilio José Palacio Blanco; José Fidel Gual Barzaga; Raul Simanca Cardenas; and Luis Raul Gonzalez-Pardo Rodriguez, for their alleged roles in the Feb. 24, 1996 shoot-down of two unarmed U.S. civilian aircraft operated by Brothers to the Rescue (BTTR), also known as Hermanos al Rescate, over international waters.

BTTR was an organization based in Miami that conducted humanitarian flight operations across the Florida Straits to search for Cuban migrants in distress. As alleged, beginning in the early 1990s, Cuban intelligence agents infiltrated the organization and relayed detailed information about its flight operations back to the Cuban government. These reports were allegedly used by military leadership in planning the Feb. 24, 1996 operation.

The superseding indictment charges conspiracy to kill U.S. nationals, two counts of destruction of aircraft, and four counts of murder. According to the allegations, on Feb. 24, 1996, three BTTR aircraft flew from South Florida toward Cuba. Cuban military fighter jets under the chain of command overseen by Raul Castro fired air-to-air missiles at two unarmed civilian Cessna aircraft — destroying them without warning while they were flying outside Cuban territory, killing four U.S. nationals, including three U.S. citizens: Carlos Costa, Armando Alejandre Jr., Mario de la Peña and Pablo Morales.

The indictment further alleges that, in the weeks prior to the attack, Cuban military pilots conducted training exercises designed to locate and intercept slow-moving civilian aircraft. On the day of the incident, three BTTR planes departed from Opa-locka Airport for a planned humanitarian flight south of the 24th parallel. Two of the aircraft — tail numbers N2456S and N5485S — were allegedly targeted and shot down in international airspace, resulting in the deaths of all four victims.

Defendant: Raul Modesto Castro Ruz

Crime: Conspiracy to kill U.S. nationals, destruction of aircraft, and murder

City and State: Holguin, Cuba

Exact Date: Feb. 24, 1996

Sentence: If convicted, the defendants face a maximum penalty of death or life imprisonment on the murder and conspiracy to kill U.S. nationals counts. Castro Ruz and Perez-Perez face up to five years in prison for each of the destruction of aircraft counts.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl/pr/united-states-unseals-superseding-indictment-charging-raul-castro-and-five-castro