On Wednesday, the United States indicted former Cuban President Raúl Castro.
After three decades, criminal charges announced Wednesday focus on the 94-year-old Castro’s role as defense minister and alleged role in ordering the 1996 shoot down of two civilian aircraft belonging to the Cuban-American group Brothers to the Rescue, a Miami-based humanitarian organization that searched for Cubans attempting to flee the communist nation.
The planes were reportedly operating outside Cuban airspace when Cuban fighter jets opened fire. Four people, three of them Americans, were killed by two Cuban MiG fighters.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche is also expected to attend a ceremony honoring the victims of the incident on a day that Cuban exiles celebrate as Cuba’s independence day, people familiar with the plans told CNN.
Tensions between the United States and Cuba are rapidly escalating after new reporting claimed the communist regime has been building up military drone capabilities just 90 miles from American shores, while the Trump administration simultaneously intensifies pressure on Havana over security concerns and its ties to U.S. adversaries.
According to Axios, classified intelligence indicates Cuba has been acquiring attack drones from Russia and Iran since 2023 and positioning them “in strategic locations across the island.”
Potential targets reportedly include the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay, American military vessels, and even Key West, Florida.
Axios quoted a senior U.S. official warning of the implications.
“When we think about those types of technologies being that close, and a range of bad actors from terror groups to drug cartels to Iranians to the Russians, it’s concerning,” the official said, adding that it’s “a growing threat.”
The report arrives as President Trump continues pursuing a maximum-pressure strategy aimed at forcing political and economic changes in Cuba. Administration officials have suggested the drone intelligence could become a major factor in determining the next phase of U.S. action. (RELATED: Rick Scott Blasts Pramila Jayapal Over Cuba Oil Negotiations)
Axios reported that one senior U.S. official said the intelligence “could become a pretext for U.S. military action” if the Trump administration determines the drone buildup — along with the presence of Iranian military advisers in Havana — represents a serious enough threat.
This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.
