U.S. Unseals Charges against Raul Castro and Others for 1996 Shoot Down of Brothers to the Rescue Aircraft

               On May 20, 2026, the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the unsealing of a superseding indictment charging Raul Modesto Castro Ruz, along with Lorenzo Alberto Perez-Perez; Emilio José Palacio Blanco; José Fidel Gual Barzaga; Raul Simanca Cardenas; and Luis Raul Gonzalez-Pardo Rodrigue, for their alleged roles in the February 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