Miami-Dade mayor welcomes indictment of Raul Castro, calls for justice for 1996 victims

Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava says the indictment of former Cuban leader Raúl Castro marks an important step toward long-awaited accountability in the 1996 shoot-down of Brothers to the Rescue aircraft, describing the victims as “sons of our community” who were killed in cold blood.

In a statement issued Tuesday, Levine Cava said she stands with the families of Carlos Costa, Armando Alejandre Jr., Mario de la Peña and Pablo Morales, who died on Feb. 24, 1996, when Cuban military jets shot down their unarmed humanitarian aircraft over international waters.

For nearly three decades, she said, the families have endured both grief and frustration as those responsible allegedly avoided accountability.

“Today, with the indictment of Raúl Castro, the wheels of justice — however long they have turned — have begun to move,” she said.

The indictment, announced by the United States Department of Justice, relates to the shoot-down of two civilian aircraft operated by Brothers to the Rescue, a Miami-based group that conducted humanitarian flights over the Florida Straits searching for Cuban migrants in distress.

Levine Cava said the deaths are deeply tied to Miami-Dade’s Cuban exile community, which she described as one of the largest in the world and shaped by decades of displacement and political repression.

“Our neighbors, our colleagues, and our friends are among the hundreds of thousands who fled tyranny, built new lives here, and never stopped pursuing the freedom and dignity that was stripped from them and their families,” she said.

She also described Brothers to the Rescue members as “heroes,” saying they flew unarmed missions over open water to assist migrants in distress.

“The four men killed that February day died while carrying out an act of profound humanity,” she said. “They deserved justice then. Their families deserve it now.”

While acknowledging that no legal action can undo the loss, Levine Cava said accountability remains essential.

“No indictment can return those four lives. No legal proceeding can undo thirty years of pain. But accountability matters. Truth matters,” she said.

The mayor pledged continued support for the families of the victims and reaffirmed Miami-Dade’s commitment to justice and the Cuban-American community.