DOJ officials hold press conference after indicting Raul Castro

[1:01] Ladies and gentlemen, please take your seats. Our program is about to begin. [1:07] I'm Madeline Pumariega, president of Miami-Dade College. Welcome to the Freedom Tower. [15:18] Today we gather at the Freedom Tower for a solemn and meaningful occasion as we welcome representatives from the United States Department of Justice, [15:27] community leaders, families, honored guests to commemorate the legacy of the Brothers to the Rescue [15:33] and honor the victims whose lives were tragically lost in this pursuit of freedom. [15:39] This ceremony is deeply significant because we stand here at the Freedom Tower, our Freedom Tower, [15:47] a place that represents refuge, resilience, and enduring hope for those who came to America [15:53] seeking liberty after fleeing tyranny and oppression in Cuba. [15:59] So many of our parents, our uncles and aunts, walked through these doors, 400,000 of them, looking for hope and opportunity. [16:08] Today is their day. [16:12] For generations of Cuban exiles, this building became more than a processing center. [16:17] It became a symbol that freedom was still possible, a symbol that democracy, human dignity, and human rights matter. [16:26] Today we remember the four brave men of the Brothers to the Rescue, whose lives were taken on February 24th, 1996. [16:36] Not in war, but during a humanitarian mission rooted in compassion and in courage. [16:42] Their sacrifice became a painful reminder to the world of the brutality of the Cuban regime [16:48] and the high price so many have paid for speaking freely, defending democracy, and standing for human rights. [16:55] We also recognize the countless victims who have suffered under the Cuban regime, across generations, [17:02] prisoners, families separated by exile, those silenced for dissonance, and all who have endured persecution, [17:10] all in the pursuit of freedom and dignity. [17:13] Their stories, our stories, are part of the larger story of Cuba, but also the part of the story of Miami and this Freedom Tower itself. [17:25] As we gather today, may we honor the memory of those not only with reflection, [17:31] but with renewed commitment to truth, to justice, and to the preservation of the democratic values for future generations. [17:41] Thank you for being here today for this important commemoration. [17:46] May God bless each of you, and may God bless the United States of America. [17:50] To our brothers and sisters in Cuba, we hear you. [18:07] Freedom will come. Cuba will be libre. [18:10] It is now my distinct honor, representing all of you, to introduce the United States Acting Attorney General, Todd Blanche. [18:33] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you very much. [19:03] It's great to be here in the great state of Florida. [19:09] Today, we are announcing an indictment charging Raul Castro and several others with conspiracy to kill U.S. nationals. [19:22] Mr. Castro and the others are charged with additional crimes as well, including destruction of aircraft and four individual counts of murder. [20:14] The indictment was returned by a grand jury sitting in this district in Miami on April 23, 2026, and was unsealed today. [20:28] For nearly 30 years, 30 years, the families of four murdered Americans have waited for justice. [20:36] On February—this is a story all too familiar—on February 24, 1996, two civilian aircraft operated by brothers to the rescue were shot down over international waters by military aircraft from Cuba. [20:56] Four men were killed—Carlos Costa, Armando Alejandra, Jr., Mario de la Pena, and Pablo Morales. [21:08] They were unarmed civilians and were flying humanitarian missions for the rescue and protection of people fleeing oppression across the Florida Straits. [21:22] As alleged in the indictment, Raul Castro and five co-defendants participated in a conspiracy that ended with Cuban military aircraft firing missiles at those civilian planes and killing four Americans. [21:34] Those are the allegations returned by a federal grand jury. [21:39] My message today is clear—the United States and President Trump does not and will not forget its citizens. [21:51] I want to say that we also do not forget the families, the loved ones, and the friends who have carried grief and heartache for 30 years. [22:31] For the first time in nearly 70 years, senior leadership of the Cuban regime has been charged in this country, in the United States of America, for acts of violence resulting in the deaths of American citizens. [22:48] Nations and their leaders cannot be permitted to target Americans, kill them, and not face accountability. [22:58] President Trump is committed to restoring a very simple but important principle. [23:02] If you kill Americans, we will pursue you, no matter who you are, no matter what title you hold, and in this case, no matter how much time has passed. [23:12] I want to thank—and everybody in this room should thank—the FBI, the prosecutors, and the agents who worked on this matter. [23:22] It includes the intelligence community and our federal and state law enforcement partners. [23:27] They did the work here, so thank you. [23:44] There's a reason why myself and the senator and other leadership are here and not in Washington, D.C., to announce this indictment. [23:54] The community here—you all—understands the history of the Cuban regime better than anyone in America. [24:02] Many families here know the cost of oppression. [24:05] I've heard stories over the past week and past months, every one of them heartbreaking. [24:11] They know that the pain caused by the regime did not stop at the island's shores. [24:16] And today's indictment, while it does not bring back the murdered victims, it makes a statement. [24:23] The United States government has not forgotten these innocent men who were shot out of the sky. [24:29] And as in every criminal case, the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty by a jury of their peers. [24:38] But today, the Department of Justice has taken an important step and brought this indictment. [24:42] I'm proud to stand here on this podium with U.S. Attorney Jason Redding Quinones. [24:48] To my right, Chris Rea, Deputy Director of the FBI. [24:51] You're going to—you're going to get to clap—you're going to get to clap for Jason in 20 seconds. [25:02] Chris Rea, Deputy Director of the FBI, and James Utheimer, the Attorney General of this great state. [25:08] And your great U.S. Senator is here as well. [25:18] She's very busy in D.C., but wouldn't miss this for the world. [25:23] So thank you for being here, Senator Moody. [25:25] So I want to thank—I want to thank Jason for his leadership down here in Florida. [25:34] He's doing a great job beyond today. [25:36] And I'd also ask him to replace me at the podium to say a few words. [25:42] So thank you, Jason, very much. [25:43] Good afternoon, and thank you all for being here. [25:58] It may sound a little repetitive, some of the things we're saying, [26:02] but they're worthy of saying twice, three times, a hundred times. [26:06] So bear with us. [26:08] For nearly 70 years, the Communist Cuban regime has acted with impunity in its systematic repression of its people. [26:18] And for the last 30 years, this regime's senior leadership has gone unchallenged for its murder of four Americans. [26:27] Today, the United States announces a historic indictment charging Raul Castro and five co-defendants for their roles. [26:36] In the February 24, 1996 shoot-down of two brothers to the rescue, a Miami grand jury has charged these defendants with conspiracy to kill U.S. nationals, destruction of aircraft, and four counts of murder. [26:58] The victims were four unarmed civilian pilots engaged in humanitarian work. [27:04] Carlos Costa, Armando Alejandre Jr., Mario de la Pena, and Pablo Morales. [27:12] They were not combatants, they were not armed, and they posed no threat. [27:17] According to the indictment, Raul Castro, then minister of the Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces, authorized and oversaw a military chain of command that ended with Cuban fighter jets firing air-to-air missiles at civilian aircraft over international waters. [27:34] Those missiles destroyed the planes without warning and killed all aboard. [27:39] For 30 years, the families have waited. [27:43] The Miami community has waited, and our country has waited. [27:49] Today is a step towards accountability. [27:52] This is the first time in almost 70 years that a senior leadership of the Cuban regime has been charged in the United States for acts of violence resulting in the death of Americans. [28:03] The passage of time does not erase murder, it does not diminish the value of those lives, and it does not weaken our commitment to the rule of law. [28:15] Standing here in the Freedom Tower gives this moment added meaning. [28:22] This is the Ellis Island for Cuban refugees. [28:26] It was the main processing center for countless exiles who fled communist Cuba with the hopes of reaching the American dream. [28:33] My own mother spent her first night in the United States in this very building. [28:39] After fleeing brutal communist Cuba, like so many families in Miami, mine understands what it means to arrive here with little more than hope and a chance to rebuild under the protection of American law. [28:56] That history reminds me of the duty we carry, a duty to seek justice for victims, a duty to stand with families who have carried this pain for decades, [29:07] and a duty to make it clear that those who kill Americans cannot simply wait out American justice. [29:16] Today's date, May 20th, also carries deep meaning for the Cuban people. [29:35] It is their fourth of July. [29:38] It marks Cuba's independence from colonial Spain. [29:41] It reminds us that the pursuit of freedom, dignity, and accountability spans generations and still lives alive and well in the heart of the Cuban community. [29:52] Today's indictment is one part of that long effort. [29:57] When I came into office in August of last year, I made reviving this case a priority, and I want to thank the team that made it happen. [30:09] My first assistant, U.S. Attorney Yara Lorenzo Calucas, and my assistant United States Attorneys Abby Waxman and Mike Guilfarb. [30:33] In conjunction with FBI Miami's Cuban squad, which we're not going to name or show their faces, for their commitment and drive to seeing this case through. [30:55] It's incredible work. [30:56] It's incredible work. [30:57] I also want to thank Mr. Attorney General for his incredible support and steady leadership of the department. [31:06] And before I conclude, I also want to acknowledge the assistance of Florida Attorney General's office. [31:11] Attorney General James Upmeyer and his team have been strong partners in this effort. [31:26] Their support reflects the best of federal and state law enforcement working together in service of justice. [31:33] With that, I turn the podium over to FBI's Deputy Director, Chris Rea. [31:37] Thank you. [31:38] All right. Good afternoon, everyone. [31:48] Before I begin, I specifically want to thank the Attorney General and, of course, the U.S. Attorney here for allowing me to speak to you all today. [31:55] And I also want to thank you all for giving me the opportunity to showcase the small part that the FBI played. [32:04] As was stated, today marks a significant moment in a long, long journey for justice. [32:10] A journey that began 30 years ago with an unprovoked attack on American lives. [32:18] Four humanitarians were on a noble mission to help those fleeing oppression. [32:25] Instead, their lives were violently taken in a reckless act by the Cuban regime. [32:32] The FBI, the Department of Justice, and countless others never forgot them. [32:40] And we never stopped hunting for the truth. [32:43] Today's announcement shows that if it's five months, five years, five decades, we will keep pursuing you. [32:54] And we'll keep pursuing anyone who intends to harm our citizens. [32:59] And they will face American justice. [33:02] I'd like to thank our dedicated special agents, our dedicated prosecutors, our dedicated intelligence analysts, and our dedicated professional staff. [33:12] As well as our counterintelligence program for never giving up. [33:16] Enormous credit is due to the many teams across the 16 different FBI cases regarding this matter. [33:27] The teams who have worked to hold members of the Cuban government's WASP network accountable. [33:33] Our people have systematically and relentlessly searched for evidence, conducted countless interviews, and pieced together critical intelligence for nearly three decades. [33:46] They've turned dead ends into fresh leads. [33:50] And over the years, that hard work has paid off with convictions of multiple operatives for activities related to that vicious shoot-down. [33:59] The charges we announce today are only the latest milestone on that road to justice. [34:06] A road paid with persistence, partnership, and extreme, extreme resolve. [34:12] To anyone who spies on our country or harms our citizens, know this. [34:19] The FBI, the Department of Justice, has a long memory. [34:24] We will come after you, and we will find you. [34:27] As I close, I'd like to close with a personal anecdote, as this is deeply personal to me. [34:47] You see, I was a former member of the United States Coast Guard right here in Miami Beach in Key West, Florida in the 1990s. [34:55] I conducted numerous, numerous humanitarian missions with my fellow Coast Guardsmen rescuing Cuban citizens who were just trying to find a better life. [35:06] I also was fortunate enough to act as security during remembrance ceremonies held at the 12 nautical mile limit just outside of Cuban territorial waters. [35:22] I served on Coast Guard cutters that provided the security to the friends and family who were just trying to remember their lost loved ones. [35:33] So for me, today brings everything full circle. [35:36] So in that vein, we dedicate all three decades of case work to the memories of the loved ones lost that day. [35:45] To the victims, families, and friends, we stand with you as we hold those responsibilities to account. [35:52] Now, I'm going to turn it over to the U.S. Senator of this great state, Senator Moody. [36:00] Thank you. [36:01] What a day. [36:07] What a day. [36:10] Three months ago, I joined you on the anniversary to mark the killing of Carlos Armando Mario Pablo. [36:23] And I said, it was not a cold case. [36:28] It was never a cold case. [36:32] It was a never a whodunit. [36:34] We always knew who was responsible for the killing of those young men. [36:40] That was three months ago. [36:43] And I am so proud to join you today to say we're finally bringing justice to those families and not just those families. [36:53] Unfortunately, everyone sitting here today for the past 30 years who have kept this case hot, who have met with me as the Attorney General, [37:04] who repeatedly met with law enforcement, who repeatedly met with leaders, so many who came together and kept that case hot like those that are no longer with us like Lincoln Diaz-Balart. [37:16] He would be right here in the front row today that hot. [37:28] And just three months later, we are standing here on this important day when Cuba became a free state of free people to say we are living up to bringing accountability to the Castro's and the regime that stole that independence. [37:49] That's what we're doing today. [37:51] It's an honor to be here today with our Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche as the indictment is unsealed against others, [38:04] but particularly against Raul Castro for his role in the brothers to the rescue murders. [38:10] This moment has been decades in the making, and I want to thank all of the lawyers who read over all of the trial transcripts, [38:18] the weeks and weeks of trial transcripts that put back together every piece of evidence and waited for that last piece of evidence to come into view and into your possession and never gave up and never gave up. [38:37] For so many Cuban families, they know you can never become complacent in defending liberty, in fighting for freedom. [38:47] And Florida is the symbolism of fighting for freedom. [38:51] We're in the beating heartbeat of that for this nation. [38:54] So I thank you. [38:55] Thank you for being here today and remembering what it's like to hold tyrants accountable. [39:02] I applaud the Department of Justice for bringing these charges. [39:14] You know, previous administrations, as those of you met with leadership, reminded them of 30 years ago what happened. [39:26] Previous administrations would release the one person we convicted related to it. [39:34] Maybe even go down there and go to a baseball game. [39:38] The last administration decided we were going to, I don't know, really relax our banking restrictions or whatever. [39:45] Maybe coddle them into freedom, but not this administration. [39:51] They took the bold step of actually bringing accountability and understanding that accountability works. [40:00] So we thank President Trump for recognizing that, for being brave and bringing justice for these four men, for their families, and indeed for freedom. [40:26] And I want to tell you when Governor DeSantis appointed me to be your newest United States Senator, he did so and said, [40:34] I want you to take everything you know about this state, every person you've met with, everything you've learned, [40:40] every battle you've fought to make Florida what it is, take that to Washington and let's get things done. [40:47] And I am so proud to be here today to say we got things done. [40:51] And so on today, May 20th, on the day that Cuba became a free and independent state, I would like to end my visit with you by reading the following. [41:17] And it is a penalty sheet in the Southern District of Florida United States District Court advising that Raul Castro will face count one conspiracy to kill US nationals facing a maximum term of imprisonment of life imprisonment. [41:39] The destruction of aircraft facing a maximum term of imprisonment on each count of up to five years in prison and counts four through seven, the charges of murder facing a maximum term of imprisonment on each count of death or life imprisonment. [42:04] God bless you. God bless this great free state of Florida and our United States of America. [42:14] Good morning. It's an honor to be here and support Attorney General Blanche, Senator Moody, and your great United States Attorney, Jason Redding Quinones. [42:53] Communist revolution always begins with the same utopian lie, a classless, stateless paradise of abundance and freedom. [43:05] But we know the reality. In reality, there is no abundance, nor freedom. [43:12] Rather, it obstructs individual personal property rights, suffocates merit and centralizes total power in the hands of tyrants. [43:27] We've seen what communism has brought us over 100 million people that have lost their lives, engineered famines and the total destruction of human liberty. [43:42] Just 90 miles from our Florida shorelines, the Castro family has ruled the island with an iron fist. For nearly 50 years, Raul Castro directed the armed forces and served as chief enforcer. [44:01] The very man who traded the promise of revolution for a prison state. And under his command, and to this day, Cuba remains a dungeon. [44:16] Political dissidents are ripped from their homes at night under fabricated charges. They're dragged through the streets, beaten and imprisoned for decades. [44:29] I know this pain is all too real for many of you in this room. The people have long suffered because of that communist regime. [44:39] And today that hits very close to home here in the freedom tower with the brothers to the rescue. Raul Castro ordered those fighter jets to shoot down unarmed civilian aircraft. [44:54] It was not an accident. It was intentional premeditated state sanctioned murder and their criminal conspiracy violated Florida sovereignty. [45:08] They embedded spies here in Miami and across jurisdictions down into the Florida Keys, revealing the intelligence that would put these civilian aircraft in the crosshairs. [45:22] And yet for too long, leaders in Washington looked the other way. They sat by idly. They even attended baseball games with the very man that directed the murders. [45:36] Not anymore. We are blessed to have a president and Donald J. Trump who will not bend the knee for communist tyrants. [45:59] And we are blessed to have Attorney General Blanche and your United States attorney that advance justice and rule of law and who are not going to politically weaponize government. [46:19] It's an honor to support them in this endeavor. Last year, right after I took office, I directed our prosecutors to reopen the investigation into the Castro's and these murders. [46:39] Working hand in hand with the U.S. Attorney and supporting his team, we are today one step closer to advancing justice. [46:49] The cooperation between the United States and the state of Florida could not be more critical than today. Americans deserve justice. Floridians deserve justice. The family members of these men that lost their lives, they deserve justice. [47:12] Now, going forward, let me be crystal clear. There can be no future for a free Cuba so long as the Castro's and their criminal gang of thugs remain in power. [47:27] We now have the leaders that will pursue that which is right and just that I know. So get ready. There's more to come. God bless America and God bless the free state of Florida. [48:06] So we're going to just take a couple of questions, although the questions should be directed to the reason why we're here today and not something else. So other other reporters and Pierre. [48:28] Attorney General Blanche. [48:30] Attorney General Blanche. Key question. Why now? Was there a breakthrough in this case? Can you speak to the evidence that leads you to believe that Raul Castro directly participated in the deaths of those Americans who were killed? And I have a follow up. [48:47] Attorney General Blanche. Well, I cannot explain or justify why now as opposed to two decades ago or 30 years ago when it happened. [48:57] So what I can say is that you just heard a lot of people talk about a ton of work that the FBI did state and local intelligence communities or U.S. attorney and the attorney general's state attorney general's team. [49:09] Attorney General Blanche. And that evidence was presented to a grand jury in late April and an indictment was returned. So I can't as far as what the evidence is. Well, a lot of it's in the indictment and it would not be appropriate or fair to comment outside of the indictment about the evidence. [49:25] But as you guys know, a grand jury is presented with evidence and then returns an indictment to the extent that that they believe there's probable cause that a crime has been committed, which a grand jury certainly did here. [49:36] And a quick follow up. What are the prospects that you could get Raul Castro to the United States to face justice given the situation there? [49:45] And what steps are the U.S. willing to take to get him back here? [49:49] Well, we indict men outside of this country all the time, and there's all kinds of different ways that we get them here. [49:58] The reason why we indict somebody is because we want them here to face justice in front of a jury of their peers. [50:03] So how we go about doing that obviously depends on the circumstances in the case, and I'm not going to go beyond that. [50:20] But but we expect we didn't indict this isn't a show indictment. [50:24] This is an indictment because we we expect that there was a warrant issue for his arrest. [50:29] So we expected that he will show up here by his own will or by another way and go to prison. [50:38] Next question. Yep, go ahead. [50:45] Are any others in the Castro family potentially tied up in this? [50:52] Could there be other charges from members in the Castro family from the Castro regime? [50:59] Well, as you just heard, this is an indictment in some ways 30 years in the making. [51:04] There is not a prosecutor in this room or an FBI agent in this room that ever stops investigating. [51:09] So whether there will be additional charges, whether are additional defendants charged, who knows? [51:16] But this investigation like this is never over. [51:19] And so I assure you the men and women who have been working tirelessly on this case for the past several months, years, are not just going to retire. [51:29] You just point to somebody I don't. Good afternoon. [51:36] Many Cuban Americans are elated, emotional, hopeful on a day like today. [51:42] What do you tell the Cuban community who is happy about today's announcement but is wondering to pursue these charges? [51:50] I mean, that's the same question I just answered. [51:54] I think that that there's a process that happens, right? [51:57] And so what's the first process is it's a charge. [52:01] It's an indictment. [52:02] And that happens all across this country constantly. [52:04] And then the next question is, okay, so when is this guy going to show up and, you know, appear in court and have a trial or what have you? [52:15] And I would say to those that wonder whether this is just an indictment or we're going to go away, we're not. [52:23] So go ahead. [52:24] Yes, the blue shirt. [52:26] I'll go to the middle next. [52:33] Attorney General Blanche, we would like to know what would be the next step to a lot of people are wondering, [52:42] are wondering if there will be any sort of attack military response from the United States. [52:48] If this now indictment gives permission for the United States to be closer to Cuba and, again, get Raul Castro and those others implicated here to the United States. [53:00] So I'm the Acting Attorney General of the Department of Justice. [53:04] We bring charges. [53:05] So the question you asked is a question that involves the Department – the President of the United States, the Secretary of War, the Secretary of State, and doesn't involve the Acting Attorney General. [53:18] So what I can tell you is that this is – this indictment, as we've said a bunch of times today, is a result of a lot of hard work and what we believe is an important step in bringing some semblance of justice to the families and friends and loved ones of these men who were murdered. [53:40] But beyond that, I'm not going to talk about what could happen with Cuba beyond that. [53:45] Yes, go ahead. [53:47] Attorney General Gloria Ordaz from Telemundo 51. [53:51] Thank you for this opportunity. [53:53] The next step is going to be an arrest warrant and I ask you this because the Cuban exile would love to see Raul Castro in the same position of Nicolas Maduro. [54:07] And a lot of legal experts that we have interviewed during these days have said that Raul Castro – that this indictment will be more symbolic than practice and that Raul Castro should probably die in Cuba. [54:28] What is your message for them? [54:30] Well, I'm not going to compare cases for one. [54:34] For two, like I said a few minutes ago, we indict men who are not physically within the United States all the time. [54:44] This is not a new endeavor or adventure for us. [54:48] And so the way that we get people here who are charged with a crime varies. [54:53] There's all kinds of different ways. [54:54] And this is not – you know, there's an arrest warrant issued for a reason because we certainly expect and believe that Mr. Castro was entitled to his death. [55:02] Mr. Castro was entitled to his day in court right here in Miami. [55:06] Suit, yep. [55:08] Thank you, sir. [55:09] Jesse Kirsch with NBC News. [55:10] You mentioned that the grand jury approved these charges weeks ago. [55:14] Curious to know what, if any, role the CIA director's visit to Cuba in recent days played in deciding to move forward with announcing this indictment? [55:23] I'm not going to get into why we decided to unseal the indictment today except to note the place that we're standing and the important day that today represents. [55:34] But, yes, you're right. [55:35] There's a lot of factors that go into when a sealed indictment is unsealed, if ever. [55:40] And so beyond just the fact that – look, by the way, it wasn't that long ago. [55:45] It was late April. [55:46] It's mid-May, so. [55:47] Thank you. [55:48] One other question. [55:49] When – if people look at this and say this is at least partially just a pretext to push for regime change in Cuba, what would you say to people who take that perspective? [55:59] I don't care what people look at and think. [56:01] I mean, we returned an indictment, and that's what we're here to talk about. [56:05] If people want to speculate or think what they will, I don't care. [56:08] Okay, one more question. [56:09] Blue. [56:10] The final speaker – oh, thank you. [56:13] Hi, I'm Deborah Acosta with The Wall Street Journal. [56:15] The final speaker mentioned or hinted at a potential team of people that has been put together to lead the country. [56:24] Who are those people? [56:25] Are they in the United States? [56:27] Are they in Cuba? [56:28] Is it a mix of both? [56:29] Can you share a little bit more about that team? [56:31] I'm not sure what you're talking about. [56:35] Can you say it again? [56:36] The final speaker mentioned that there is a team of people that's going to lead this forward. [56:44] Why don't we let the final speaker address that? [56:49] Yeah, yeah, very good. [56:55] That's probably easier to pronounce than my last name, Uthmeyer, but I don't think I referenced what you're saying. [57:03] When I talked about people spread across the state, I was talking about the spies and the criminal conspiracy that the evidence has revealed took place. [57:11] There were spies working from Miami all the way down to the Florida Keys, gathering intelligence and providing it to the regime to figure out where these aircraft were going to be and put them in harm's way. [57:24] As far as other geopolitical things, I'm going to stay in my lane for now. [57:28] Thank you. [57:37] Thank you, everyone. [57:38] This concludes a press conference on behalf of Miami-Dade College and the Freedom Tower. [57:41] Thank you so much for being here. [57:43] And you may go upstairs to an exhibit, Libertad. [57:46] It's a common investigation.