JUST IN: President Donald Trump's Department of Justice Heading to Indict and Arrest Former President
Washington, D.C. - May 30, 2026
TRUMP DOJ DELIVERS LONG-AWAITED JUSTICE — MOVES TO INDICT RAÚL CASTRO FOR 1996 MURDER OF AMERICAN PILOTS IN BROTHERS TO THE RESCUE ATTACK
The United States Department of Justice under President Donald J. Trump is taking concrete steps toward indicting former Cuban dictator Raúl Castro for his central role in the 1996 shootdown of two unarmed civilian aircraft from the humanitarian group Brothers to the Rescue, which killed four people.
This potential indictment would mark a historic act of accountability against the communist regime that has oppressed the Cuban people for decades.
According to officials familiar with the matter, the case centers on the February 24, 1996, incident in which Cuban MiG fighter jets shot down two Cessna planes flying in international waters on a mission to rescue Cuban rafters fleeing the dictatorship. An Organization of American States investigation concluded Cuba violated international law by using lethal force without warning.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis reacted bluntly to the reports:
“Let ’er rip, it’s been a long time coming!”
Republican Florida Rep. Carlos Giménez, the only Cuban-born member of Congress, voiced full support:
“I’m the only Cuban-born Member of the US Congress, and I fully support bringing dictator Raúl Castro to justice.”
The Trump administration has ramped up pressure on Havana with threats of steep tariffs on nations supplying oil to Cuba amid its severe energy crisis, while CIA Director John Ratcliffe delivered a clear message to Raúl Castro’s grandson: significant reforms are required for any future cooperation.
The move aligns with President Trump’s long-standing hardline policy toward the Castro regime, reversing years of appeasement that allowed communist leaders to escape justice for crimes against Americans and the Cuban people.
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel confirmed ongoing talks with the Trump administration as the island faces economic collapse, but the DOJ’s action makes clear that accountability for past atrocities remains non-negotiable.
This development sends a powerful message: under President Trump’s America First leadership, those responsible for killing Americans and oppressing freedom-loving people will no longer enjoy impunity. Justice for the victims of the Brothers to the Rescue attack — and for all who suffered under the Castro regime — is finally within reach.
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.
