The United States has reportedly been looking into indicting 94-year-old Cuban dictator Raúl Castro, brother of Fidel, in connection to the downing of planes 30 years ago. The indictment would need to be approved by a grand jury and will focus on Cuba shooting down planes operated by the humanitarian group Brothers to the Rescue in 1996, per CBS News.
The plan comes as the U.S. heaps pressure on the Cuban government. The Trump administration has threatened heavy tariffs on any country that exports oil to Cuba, leading to energy shortages as oil shipments are largely cut off. President Trump has pressed for major reforms in Cuba and has floated a “friendly takeover” of the country. The pressure on Cuba began to pick up in January, after the U.S. military removed Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from power and flew him to New York to face drug charges. Venezuela was a key partner of Cuba’s before the operation.
