The US Department of Justice has indicted 94-year-old former Cuban President Raul Castro over the 1996 downing of two unarmed civilian planes by the Cuban military.
The incident, which killed all four people on board, including three US citizens, occurred on February 24, 1996, when the Cuban military shot down the planes operated by Brothers to the Rescue.
The indictment alleges that Castro, who was the defence minister at the time, and six others are criminally responsible for the murders.
The move comes amid mounting US pressure on Cuba to change its system of government, with the US imposing a blockade on the island and the CIA Director visiting the Cuban government in a sign of potential regime change.
The indictment is seen as a significant development in Cuban-American politics in Florida, where Cuban-Americans have been pushing for the removal of the Castros since the 1960s.
It is also seen as a move to alleviate the current crisis in Cuba, where most people are struggling to find sufficient food and medicine.
