# Florida charges ex-Cuban leader with plane attacks

> Florida accuses former Cuban president of ordering 1996 plane attacks by Miami exiles.
- Title: Florida charges ex-Cuban leader with plane attacks | Shortify
- Summary: Florida accuses former Cuban president of ordering 1996 plane attacks by Miami exiles. Florida brings new charges against Raúl Castro for directing spies to…
- Keywords: florida, raul castro, brothers to the rescue, cuban government, miami, 1996, plane attacks, federal indictment, exile group, news, local, charges
- Source: Seattletimes — https://seattletimes.com/nation-world/nation/florida-brings-more-charges-against-former-cuba-president-raul-castro
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: florida, raul castro, brothers to the rescue, cuban government, miami, 1996, plane attacks, federal indictment, exile group, news, local
## Florida brings new charges
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier accuses 95-year-old Raúl Castro of directing spies to infiltrate Miami exile group Brothers to the Rescue.
## 1996 plane attacks
Three unarmed Cessna planes were shot down by Cuban MiGs over international waters killing four occupants.
## Federal indictment basis
Florida charges stem from federal indictment in May that included murder and destruction of airplanes.
## Castro's role
Castro was Minister of Revolutionary Armed Forces and First Vice President of Cuba when he authorized the attacks.
## Arrest warrant impact
Arrest warrant restricts Castro's ability to leave Cuba and travel to any country with U.S. extradition agreements.
## Cuban response
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel condemned the charges as 'reprehensible' and 'staged in a pathetic Miami circus'.

> This reprehensible action against the Army General, staged this morning in a pathetic Miami circus with an electoral subtext, has no legal or practical basis whatsoever, nor will it ever have one
## U.S. military threat
Trump threatens military action in Cuba after White House blocked fuel shipments causing blackouts and food shortages.
## Key takeaway

Florida brings new charges against Raúl Castro for directing spies to attack Miami-based Cuban exiles' planes in 1996.