BREAKING: Trump's DOJ Heading to Arrest Former President
Washington, D.C. - May 17, 2026
U.S. Justice Department Takes Steps Toward Indicting Former Cuban Leader Raúl Castro Over 1996 Shootdown
The United States is reportedly advancing toward indicting former Cuban leader Raúl Castro in connection with the 1996 shootdown of two civilian aircraft operated by the humanitarian group Brothers to the Rescue, according to sources familiar with the matter. The potential indictment would require approval from a grand jury and would focus on the February 1996 incident that resulted in the deaths of four people after Cuban fighter jets shot down two Cessna aircraft.
The development comes as the Trump administration intensifies pressure on Cuba, including threats of steep tariffs targeting countries that export oil to the island amid Cuba’s ongoing energy shortages. President Donald Trump has publicly pushed for major reforms in Cuba as tensions between Washington and Havana continue to escalate.
The 1996 incident remains one of the most controversial confrontations between the United States and Cuba in the post-Cold War era. Brothers to the Rescue was a Miami-based exile group that conducted flights searching for Cubans attempting to flee the island by raft. In February 1996, two of the group’s aircraft were shot down by a Cuban MiG-29 fighter jet.
An investigation by the Organization of American States concluded the planes were destroyed outside Cuban airspace and found that Cuba violated international law by using lethal force without warning or sufficient justification. Then-President Bill Clinton condemned the attack “in the strongest possible terms.”
Cuban officials have long defended the shootdown, arguing the aircraft violated Cuban airspace and posed a security threat. At the time of the incident, Fidel Castro was Cuba’s leader, while Raúl Castro oversaw the armed forces. Fidel Castro later said the military acted under his general orders to prevent incursions into Cuban territory.
One individual, Gerardo Hernandez, was convicted in the United States on conspiracy charges related to the shootdown after prosecutors alleged he helped pass intelligence to Cuban authorities. He was later released as part of a 2014 prisoner exchange and returned to Cuba.
The renewed legal scrutiny comes amid a broader administration crackdown targeting Cuba’s communist leadership. CIA Director John Ratcliffe reportedly met Thursday with Raúl Castro’s grandson, Raúl Guillermo Rodriguez Castro, known as “Raulito,” delivering a message that the United States is prepared to engage economically and on security matters only if Cuba makes significant changes.
A separate law enforcement initiative launched in Florida has also reportedly been examining potential prosecutions involving Cuban communist officials for economic crimes, narcotics offenses, violent crimes, and immigration violations. Florida Republicans have increasingly pushed for accountability in the decades-old case.
Sen. Rick Scott and other lawmakers have recently urged the Justice Department to pursue charges. Gov. Ron DeSantis responded to the reports with a blunt endorsement, stating, “Let ’er rip, it’s been a long time coming!”
Republican Florida Rep. Carlos Gimenez said on X, “I’m the only Cuban-born Member of the US Congress, and I fully support bringing dictator Raúl Castro to justice.”
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel confirmed Friday that his government has been holding talks with officials from the Trump administration. The discussions come as the communist island struggles with a deepening energy crisis and mounting economic pressure. During a 90-minute news conference broadcast by state media, Díaz-Canel said the talks were aimed at addressing long-standing political differences between Havana and Washington.
The potential indictment, if pursued, would mark a dramatic escalation in U.S.-Cuba tensions and reopen one of the most emotionally charged chapters in modern relations between the two countries. A Justice Department spokesperson declined to comment on the reported effort.
The case has drawn renewed attention as the Trump administration continues to apply pressure on Cuba through economic and diplomatic channels. Whether the investigation leads to formal charges remains to be seen, but the development signals a more confrontational approach toward the Cuban regime.
Nearly 150,000 California Mail Ballots Rejected In Primary
California election officials are examining why nearly 150,000 mail-in ballots were rejected during the state’s June primary, with late-arriving ballots accounting for most of the increase.
The higher rejection rate comes despite years of election law changes designed to make voting more accessible and ensure more ballots are ultimately counted.
According to data compiled by the California Secretary of State’s office, 148,241 mail-in ballots were rejected during the June primary, representing 1.73% of all mail ballots returned.
That marks an increase from the 2024 primary, when 108,982 ballots were rejected, or 1.56% of all mail ballots cast.
The largest reason for rejection was ballots arriving too late to qualify under California law.
State data shows that 93,479 ballots were rejected because they failed to meet the state’s deadline requirements.
California allows mail ballots to arrive up to seven days after Election Day, provided they are postmarked on or before Election Day.
Voting experts believe many of the rejected ballots received postmarks dated after Election Day, making them ineligible to be counted even if they arrived within the seven-day grace period.
Kim Alexander, president of the nonpartisan California Voter Foundation, said the timing of postal processing appears to be a significant concern.
“Ballots rejected due to lateness are caused primarily to being postmarked too late to count, not because they arrived too late to count,” Alexander said.
Election experts have questioned whether recent operational changes within the U.S. Postal Service may be contributing to delayed postmarks.
Earlier this year, a group of mostly Democratic U.S. senators wrote to the Postal Service expressing concern that mail-processing changes could affect ballot handling during federal elections.
Updated Postal Service procedures mean postmarks may reflect when mail is processed at regional facilities rather than when it first enters the mail system.
Because processing centers have been consolidated in some areas, election officials have warned that postmark timing could be affected.
Before the June primary, California election officials encouraged voters to mail ballots as early as possible because of potential postal delays.
The June election also featured a highly competitive race for governor, which some experts believe encouraged many voters to wait until the final days before casting ballots.
In addition to late-arriving ballots, approximately 44,000 ballots were rejected because election officials determined the voter’s signature did not match the signature on file.
Another 8,300 ballots were rejected because the return envelope did not contain a signature.
State records also show that 743 ballots were rejected because those voters had already cast another ballot.
Other rejected ballots involved missing ballots inside return envelopes or multiple ballots submitted in a single envelope.
The highest rejection rate in the state occurred in Tulare County, where 3.52% of returned mail ballots were rejected.
Alpine County and Merced County followed closely, each recording rejection rates of 3.36%.
California has frequently faced criticism for taking weeks to complete vote counting after major elections, largely because state law permits ballots meeting certain requirements to continue arriving after Election Day.
Following the June primary, President Donald Trump again criticized California’s election system, while the Department of Justice opened an investigation into election administration in Los Angeles County.
Election experts emphasize that the increase in rejected ballots should not be interpreted as evidence of widespread voter fraud.
A 2025 report by the Brookings Institution found documented cases of mail ballot fraud remained extremely rare, estimating roughly four cases for every 10 million mail ballots cast, The Associated Press reported.
State officials have not identified evidence of widespread fraud connected to the June primary, but the increase in rejected ballots is expected to receive additional scrutiny as election administrators evaluate whether changes in postal operations, voter behavior or election procedures contributed to the higher rejection rate.
