Florida revives a long-dormant probe into Raul Castro over 1996 shootdown of exile group’s plane

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MIAMI (AP) — Florida’s attorney general said Wednesday that a state-level criminal investigation into former Cuban leader Raul Castro’s role in the 1996 shootdown of four planes operated by anti-communist exiles will be reopened.

Attorney General James Uthmeier said during a news conference in Miami on Wednesday that an investigation into possible crimes against Raul Castro that began several years ago was shut down by the Biden administration.

“When this came to my attention, we reactivated the files,” Uthmeier said. “So yes, that investigation will be ongoing.”

In recent weeks, as the 30th anniversary of the February 1996 shootdown of two Brothers to the Rescue planes approached, several Miami Republicans, as well as Florida Sen. Rick Scott, have called on the Trump administration to reopen its criminal investigation to focus on Castro’s alleged role in the incident.

The renewed interest in the case is taking place against the backdrop of Trump’s increasingly aggressive stance against Cuba’s communist leadership in the wake of the U.S. capture of its close ally, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

In a letter to Trump on Feb. 13, lawmakers including Reps. Maria Elvira Salazar and Carlos Gimenez highlighted decades-old news reports indicating that Castro — the head of Cuba’s military at the time — gave the order to shoot down the unarmed Cessna aircraft.

“We believe unequivocally that Raul Castro is responsible for this heinous crime,” lawmakers wrote. “It is time for him to be brought to justice.”

On Wednesday, Uthmeier agreed that accountability is needed if crimes against Florida citizens were committed.

“I can’t really say too much more at this point, but we are going to continue this investigation,” he said during the news conference. “I know a lot of members of the state legislature and other people here in Florida would like to see some resolution and ideally accountability.”

His office did not immediately respond to a request for additional comment about the investigation

Cuban government officials also did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wednesday.

To date, the U.S. has convicted only a single person of conspiracy to commit murder in connection to the shootdown. Gerardo Hernández, the leader of a Cuban espionage ring dismantled by the FBI in the 1990s, was sentenced to life in prison but was released by President Barack Obama during a prisoner swap in December 2014 after serving 16 years.

Two fighter jet pilots and their commanding officer have also been indicted but outside the reach of U.S. law enforcement while living in Cuba.

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Frisaro reported from Fort Lauderdale, Florida.