Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche announced Wednesday a Miami grand jury is charging former President of Cuba, Raúl Castro, with four counts of murder.
The move is connected to planes operated by a humanitarian group that were shot down by Cuba in 1996.
Blanche made the announcement from Miami’s Freedom Tower, a significant cultural center for many Cuban exiles.
“Nations, and their leaders cannot be permitted to target Americans, kill them, and not face accountability,” he said.
Castro is currently in Cuba, but was indicted by a Miami grand jury. Blanche said the charges are serious, not political theater.
“This isn't a show indictment, this is an indictment, because we expect that there was a warrant issued for his arrest, so we expect that he will show up here by his own will or by another way,” he said.
The charges come after the United States carried out a military mission to arrest former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro earlier this year to face criminal charges.
The Trump administration has strengthened pressure on Cuba in recent months. The U.S. has threatened tariffs on any country that exports oil to Cuba, and President Donald Trump has floated what he called a “friendly takeover” of the country.