The US Department of Justice charges former Cuban leader Raúl Castro, Trump administration increases pressure on Cuba

BlockBeats News, May 21st. The U.S. Department of Justice recently released a indictment formally charging former Cuban leader Raúl Modesto Castro Ruz. The charges are related to the 1996 incident where Cuban fighter jets shot down two humanitarian aid planes, resulting in the deaths of four U.S. nationals, including three American citizens. Raúl Castro is the brother of former Cuban leader Fidel Castro and served as the Chairman of the Cuban State Council from 2008 to 2018.

This legal action is the latest move by the Trump administration in its maximum pressure campaign against the Cuban regime. The Trump administration had previously imposed sanctions on Cuba's military and intelligence sectors and consistently called on the Cuban leadership to end their oppression of the Cuban people and reach an agreement with the United States.

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel responded on social media, stating that the U.S. government's charges only exposed the imperialist representative's arrogance and frustration when facing the unwavering determination of the Cuban Revolution and the unity and moral strength of its leadership. He accused this of being a politically motivated act without any legal basis.

It is worth noting that former President Biden, before leaving office, rescinded Cuba's designation as a "state sponsor of terrorism" and abolished the Trump administration's policy memos on Cuba. However, on the day of his inauguration in January 2025, Trump reinstated Cuba's "support for terrorism" designation and subsequently reissued more stringent National Security Presidential Memoranda. The Trump administration recently announced sanctions on entities such as GAESA, which is controlled by the Cuban military, alleging that they are enriching themselves through corruption instead of benefiting the people.

The White House statement also hinted at the prospect of military action against the Cuban regime, stating that President Trump continues to demonstrate his resolve in confronting foreign national security threats, citing past successful military actions in capturing the Venezuelan dictator Maduro and eliminating Iran's nuclear weapons capability.