[68577] The U.S. Department of Justice has filed indictments against Raul Castro; the U.S. military is deploying forces to the Caribbean

Growing tension between the U.S. and Cuba: Indictments against Raul Castro and naval force deployment

The U.S. Department of Justice has filed criminal indictments against former Cuban leader, 94-year-old Raul Castro, for his involvement in the downing of two civilian aircraft belonging to the organization "Brothers to the Rescue" in 1996. According to the U.S. Department of Justice as reported by RT, Castro is charged with "conspiracy to murder U.S. citizens," destruction of aircraft, and murder. If convicted, he could face the death penalty or life imprisonment.

While officials in Washington claim this is a legal step to ensure justice, many media sources, including The New York Times as quoted by Readovka, point out that the move could serve as a pretext for a "Venezuela scenario" – a military operation or the kidnapping of Castro, similar to the arrest of Nicolas Maduro. At the same time, it was reported by Прямой Эфир and other media outlets that a U.S. aircraft carrier strike group, led by the USS Nimitz, has entered the Caribbean Sea.

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel firmly rejected the accusations, claiming it is a "political maneuver without legal basis" intended to justify "military aggression" against the country. The Russian state news agency TASS wrote that the move signifies Washington's desire to increase pressure on the regime in Havana, while political blogger Dmitry Nikotin described the events as a "warm-up" for the possibility of military intervention.

On the other hand, President Donald Trump attempted to calm tensions by saying that there "will be no escalation" with Cuba, while adding that this is a "very important moment" for the Cuban people, but without detailing his next steps. The BBC Russian service noted that the move comes after a period of prolonged tension between the countries, as the White House seeks to bring about regime change on the island.

Various commentators, including political analyst Alexander Friedman, point out that the step reflects a "carrot and stick" strategy – applying legal pressure on the old generation of Cuban leadership while maintaining secret communication channels with younger generations in the leadership, with the goal of isolating the communist power centers on the island.