Raul Castro arrest warrant issued by Florida

Florida's top prosecutor announced an arrest warrant Monday for former Cuban president Raul Castro on state murder charges tied to the February 24, 1996 shootdown of two civilian aircraft from Brothers to the Rescue.

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier accused Castro, 95, of ordering the deaths of four Floridians. The organisation helped Cubans fleeing to the US state by sea.

Castro, the brother of the late Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro, was indicted on federal charges related to the incident in May. US Attorney Jason A. Reding Quinones said federal prosecutors supported Florida's action and were pursuing accountability through parallel prosecutions.

Cuba's Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez condemned the Florida move on X as a political manoeuvre by anti-Cuban politicians in South Florida. Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel has said the US federal indictment against Castro has no legal basis and was an attempt to justify possible military aggression against Cuba.