Authorities in the State of Florida in the United States have issued an arrest warrant for former Cuban President, Raul Castro, over his alleged role in the murder of four persons in the shooting down of two civilian aircraft in 1996.

The warrant was issued in connection with the downing of two small civilian planes belonging to the exile group known as Brothers to the Rescue, an incident that killed four people on board.

Florida Attorney General, James Uthmeier, accused the former Cuban leader of ordering the attack that led to the death of the four victims, describing the act as a premeditated killing.

According to the Attorney General, investigations revealed that the order to shoot down the aircraft was given from the highest level of the Cuban government at that time, with Raul Castro allegedly playing a central role.

The latest arrest warrant comes just few months after a federal indictment was filed against the 95-year-old former president in May over the same 1996 incident.

The federal indictment had accused Castro of conspiracy to murder and other charges linked to the shooting down of the two planes over international waters in the Florida Straits.

US prosecutors said the federal case was built on declassified intelligence reports, testimonies and evidence that linked the Cuban military action to directives from the Cuban leadership.

The Brothers to the Rescue aircraft were known for conducting humanitarian missions and for assisting Cuban migrants fleeing the island, as well as dropping leaflets over Cuba.

On February 24, 1996, Cuban MiG fighter jets shot down two of the group’s aircraft, killing three American citizens and one Cuban-American resident, sparking international outrage.

The United States Government at the time condemned the attack as a violation of international law, while Cuba defended its action, claiming the planes had violated its airspace.

The issuance of the state arrest warrant by Florida is seen as an additional legal step to hold the former Cuban president accountable under Florida state murder laws.

Attorney General Uthmeier, while announcing the warrant, said Florida will not ignore the killing of innocent persons, especially when the victims included US citizens and residents of the state.

He maintained that the state of Florida has jurisdiction to pursue murder charges because the conspiracy and planning had connections to Florida where the victims lived and where the group was based.

The Attorney General explained that the warrant empowers law enforcement agencies in Florida to arrest Raul Castro should he enter the jurisdiction of the state or any cooperating territory.

US federal prosecutors have also disclosed that they will be pursuing both state and federal cases against the former Cuban leader simultaneously.

According to them, the dual prosecution approach is aimed at ensuring that justice is served for the victims and their families who have waited for nearly three decades.

Legal experts in the US say while the chances of physically arresting the former Cuban president remain slim due to his age and location in Cuba, the warrants carry significant symbolic and diplomatic weight.

The development is coming at a time when pressure is mounting from the administration of President Donald Trump on the communist government in Havana.

President Trump’s administration has in recent months adopted a tougher stance against Cuba, reversing some of the diplomatic openings initiated by previous US governments.

The US government has accused the Cuban government of human rights abuses, suppression of dissent and continued support for authoritarian regimes in the region.

Washington has also tightened economic sanctions on Cuba and restricted travel and remittances, as part of efforts to force political reforms on the island.

However, the move to prosecute Raul Castro has been met with strong condemnation from the Cuban government, which described it as politically motivated.

Cuba’s Foreign Minister, Bruno Rodriguez, said the arrest warrant and federal indictment are part of a long-standing campaign by the US to demonize the Cuban revolution and its leaders.

He argued that the US action is driven by domestic politics in Florida, where there is a large Cuban-American population that strongly opposes the Havana government.

Cuban President, Miguel Diaz-Canel, also reacted to the development, rejecting the federal charges filed against Raul Castro as legally baseless and lacking in merit.

Diaz-Canel said the charges have no foundation in international law and are being used as a pretext to escalate hostilities against Cuba.

He warned that such legal actions could be exploited to justify military aggression or intervention against the sovereign state of Cuba.

The Cuban leader maintained that the 1996 incident was a legitimate defence of Cuba’s sovereignty against repeated violations of its airspace by the exile group.

Meanwhile, families of the four victims have welcomed the issuance of the arrest warrant and the federal indictment, describing it as a long-awaited step towards justice.

They expressed hope that the actions by both Florida and the federal government will keep the memory of their loved ones alive and ensure that those responsible are held accountable.

Observers say the case is likely to further strain the already tense relations between Washington and Havana, as both countries continue to trade accusations over human rights, sovereignty and international law.