Florida has issued an arrest warrant for 95-year-old former Cuban leader Raul Castro, as U.S. authorities intensify pressure on the Havana government. The state-level announcement mirrors a federal indictment from May.

State Attorney General James Uthmeier announced Monday that the warrant stems from criminal charges related to Castro's alleged directive to shoot down two unarmed aircraft in 1996. The planes were associated with Brothers to the Rescue, a Florida-based organization assisting Cubans fleeing the island, and four individuals perished in the incident.

Castro faces state charges of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder in Florida. Uthmeier stated in a news release that "Raul Castro ordered the murder of four Floridians in cold blood, and Florida will never stop pursuing accountability for that communist conspiracy." He emphasized the necessity of the warrant for accountability for the lives lost, noting, "Thirty years later, we are still fighting for justice for Carlos Costa, Pablo Morales, Mario de la Pena, and Armando Alejandre Jr."

The decision to down the two small twin-engine planes has resurfaced as a point of contention, particularly as Republican President Donald Trump seeks to challenge Cuba's communist leadership. The attack occurred on February 24, 1996. U.S. authorities maintain the planes were over international waters and received no warning before being targeted.

Cuban officials, however, have asserted that previous flights by Brothers to the Rescue had violated Cuban airspace despite prior warnings. At the time of the 1996 attack, Castro, now 95, served as Cuba's minister of defense. He later succeeded his brother, Fidel Castro, as president in 2008 and retired from the presidency in 2018, though he and his family remain influential in the Cuban government.

The Trump administration has signaled its desire for regime change in Cuba since the beginning of the year. In furtherance of this goal, the administration has tightened U.S. restrictions on the island. This includes implementing a de facto energy blockade in January, which experts say has effectively barred fuel exports to Cuba by threatening steep tariffs against any nation supplying the island with oil.

This action has reportedly led to deteriorating conditions on the island. The U.S. has been increasing its efforts to isolate the Cuban government, with the arrest warrant for Castro representing a significant escalation in state-level action.

The charges and the arrest warrant highlight the enduring animosity and complex relationship between the United States and Cuba, particularly concerning events from the past and ongoing political tensions.