US Arrest Warrant for Raúl Castro Over 1996 Shootdown of Civilian Planes

A US court has issued an arrest warrant for former Cuban president Raúl Castro, charging him with conspiracy to commit first-degree murder in the 1996 downing of two civilian aircraft by Cuban MiGs. The warrant is largely symbolic given Castro's age and Cuba's non-extradition stance, but it escalates US-Cuba legal pressure and may complicate any future normalization efforts.