The US plans to indict Cuba’s Raul Castro, a U.S. Division of Justice official mentioned late on Thursday.
The timing of the potential indictment, which might must be accepted by a grand jury, was not instantly clear, however the official mentioned it sounds imminent.
The potential indictment of the 94-year-old former president of Cuba and brother of Fidel is predicted to concentrate on the downing of plane, the official mentioned on situation of anonymity.
CBS beforehand reported that the case pertains to Cuba’s lethal 1996 shootdown of planes operated by humanitarian group Brothers to the Rescue.
Representatives for Cuba’s international ministry didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark outdoors of regular enterprise hours.
A U.S. Justice Division spokesman didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
Trump’s administration has known as Cuba’s present communist-run authorities corrupt and incompetent and is in search of to switch it. The newest transfer comes as President Donald Trump has heaped strain on Cuba, successfully imposing a blockade on the island by threatening sanctions on international locations supplying it with gasoline, igniting energy outages and delivering blows to its economic system.
The U.S. Legal professional’s Workplace for the Southern District of Florida has been overseeing an effort to look at potential prison expenses in opposition to senior Cuban authorities officers.
Officers from each international locations acknowledged earlier this 12 months that they have been in talks, however the negotiations appeared to founder amid the continued U.S. gasoline blockade.
Nevertheless, on Thursday, the Cuban authorities confirmed it had met with CIA chief John Ratcliffe.
Ratcliffe instructed intelligence officers in Cuba that the U.S. was ready to interact on financial safety points if Cuba makes “basic adjustments,” a CIA official mentioned.
