A representative from Cuba's Ministry of Foreign Affairs asserted this week that the U.S. government acted deliberately, rather than negligently, in permitting the Brothers to the Rescue flights that resulted in the February 24, 1996, shootdown, which claimed the lives of four American citizens.
Miguel Ángel Moreno Carpio, connected with the International Law Department of Cuba's Foreign Ministry, made these statements on the Cuban Roundtable program. His remarks come amid a federal indictment from the Trump administration's Department of Justice against Raúl Castro and five former Cuban military officials, which was unsealed on May 20 in Miami.
"The United States government was warned multiple times by the Cuban side, but it was also cautioned by its own internal structures," Moreno Carpio stated unequivocally.
The official referenced a recently declassified document made available by the National Security Archive at George Washington University, containing records from the FAA and the White House. "A declassified document released recently indicated they anticipated those planes would be shot down due to continuous airspace violations over Cuba. This was the alert given to the White House, and directly to the President of the United States," he emphasized.
Among the declassified documents released on May 19 is an email sent on the night of February 23, 1996, by Richard Nuccio, a White House official responsible for Cuban affairs, to Sandy Berger, the national security advisor. The email warned that José Basulto planned to fly the next day and that tensions could prompt Cuba to "tip the scales toward an attempt to shoot down or force the plane to land."
Nuccio tried to have the FAA halt these flights, but the agency refused, opting only to caution Basulto once more about the dangers of violating Cuban airspace.
An August 1995 document from the Clinton administration highlighted the "grave fear" that a Brothers to the Rescue aircraft might be downed, and State Department officials had expressed concerns that "one day the Cubans will shoot down one of those planes."
According to Moreno Carpio, these precedents negate any notion that Washington could invoke "due diligence," which implies recklessness or negligence. "Due diligence skirts recklessness, negligence. Here, we are referring to someone acting intentionally because their territory allows it. They prepared the ground, saying it’s time to line up the ducks for when justification is needed. That moment arrived on February 24," he declared.
The Cuban regime also claims that the flights had a broader political goal. "What they aimed to do on February 24, 1996, and in the repeated flights before that, was to provoke an incident that could lead to a military escalation against our country. Later, President Clinton would acknowledge that he was presented with two options: either a military attack against Cuba or signing the Helms-Burton Act," Moreno Carpio added.
The federal indictment against Raúl Castro includes charges of conspiracy to murder American citizens, aircraft destruction, and four counts of murder for the deaths of Carlos Costa, Armando Alejandre Jr., Mario de la Peña, and Pablo Morales.
The indictment was returned by a federal grand jury in Miami on April 23, 2026, and it could result in a life sentence for the 94-year-old former dictator.
Cuba rejects these charges as "absolutely fraudulent and illegitimate," labeling them a political maneuver. Meanwhile, the regime has organized open forums across the country, set to continue until June 3, when Raúl Castro turns 95.
Key Questions on U.S. and Cuba Relations
What was the significance of the Brothers to the Rescue flights?
The Brothers to the Rescue flights were missions aimed at rescuing Cuban rafters in distress at sea. However, they also frequently violated Cuban airspace, leading to heightened tensions and eventually the shootdown incident of February 24, 1996.
What are the charges against Raúl Castro in the U.S. indictment?
Raúl Castro faces charges including conspiracy to murder American citizens, destruction of aircraft, and four counts of murder related to the deaths of four individuals during the 1996 shootdown incident.
How has Cuba responded to the U.S. indictment?
Cuba has dismissed the indictment as fraudulent and politically motivated, organizing forums across the nation to rally public support against the charges.