What to know about Brothers to the Rescue, Cuban exiles' group at the heart of Raúl Castro's indictment
Summary
The U.S. Justice Department has announced plans to indict Cuban leader Raúl Castro over his role in the 1996 shootdown of two planes operated by the Cuban exile group Brothers to the Rescue. The planes were shot down near Cuba, killing four men, in a long-standing conflict between the U.S. and Cuba involving airspace and refugee issues.Key Facts
- Brothers to the Rescue is a group founded by Cuban exiles in 1980 to help Cuban refugees by flying small planes to drop supplies and report locations.
- In 1996, Cuban fighter jets shot down two unarmed Brothers to the Rescue planes near Havana, killing four members.
- Raúl Castro was Cuba’s defense minister at the time and is now being indicted by the U.S. Justice Department for his role in the incident.
- The incident deepened tensions between the U.S. and Cuba during decades of hostile relations.
- The Clinton administration warned Brothers to the Rescue about flying close to Cuban airspace but did not stop the flights until after the shootdown.
- U.S. intelligence uncovered Cuban agents infiltrating Brothers to the Rescue; some agents were arrested and later exchanged in a prisoner swap.
- Two Cuban jet pilots and their commanding officer involved in the shootdown remain in Cuba and have not faced U.S. charges.
- This situation is an example of the complex and troubled history between Cuban exiles, the Cuban government, and U.S.-Cuba relations.
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