On the 30th anniversary of the downing of two Brothers to the Rescue planes, U.S. Representatives María Elvira Salazar (FL-27), Mario Díaz-Balart (FL-26), Carlos A. Giménez (FL-28), and Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody gathered in Miami with victims’ families and Cuban exile leaders to remember the incident and call for charges against Raúl Castro.
On February 24, 1996, Cuban Air Force fighter jets shot down two unarmed civilian aircraft in international airspace. The attack killed Armando Alejandre Jr., Carlos A. Costa, Mario M. de la Peña, and Pablo Morales—three U.S. citizens and one legal permanent resident.
Three decades later, lawmakers repeated their demand for accountability from Cuba’s leadership and said justice for the victims remains a moral and legal obligation.
“During 67 years, the Cuban people, in Miami and on the island, have suffered repression, exile, and persecution by the Castro regime,” said Representative María Elvira Salazar. “Today we not only remember the downing of two unarmed civilian planes and the murder of three American citizens and a legal permanent resident; we denounce a state crime that went unpunished for decades. But that impunity is over. Under President Trump’s leadership and Secretary Rubio’s guidance, accountability is underway. It is time to indict Raúl Castro and close this darkest chapter of dictatorship. Cuba’s freedom is not a dream; it is an irreversible process.”
“Thirty years ago, Raúl Castro perpetrated a brutal attack that murdered innocent Americans whose only mission was to save lives,” said Representative Díaz-Balart. “We gather not only to honor their memory but also to reaffirm that crimes against Americans cannot be ignored, excused or forgotten. There must be accountability by those responsible. I value President Trump’s leadership and applaud his decisive actions of maximum pressure against anti-American regimes as well as his commitment to always prioritize our national security. The United States must remain firm and unwavering alongside the Cuban people in their fight for freedom, justice, and democracy.”
“Today we reaffirm a simple truth: delayed justice is denied justice. Nearly three decades after Brothers to the Rescue was shot down in 1996, the Castro regime has never been held accountable for the cold-blooded murder of American citizens on a humanitarian mission,” said Representative Carlos Gimenez. “The facts are clear, the evidence overwhelming, and responsibility leads directly to Raúl Castro. If ‘America First’ means defending our citizens and confronting tyranny in our hemisphere, then it is time for the Department of Justice to act and finally hold Raúl Castro accountable.”
Last week Representatives Salazar, Díaz-Balart, Giménez, and Malliotakis formally requested that the Department of Justice reopen its investigation into Raúl Castro’s role in the incident and use all available legal tools to ensure accountability.
A full copy of their letter can be read online.
Statements from Representative Salazar are also available online.
