Cuban Exiles Demand Prosecution of Raúl Castro over 1996 Massacre of 4 Americans

The Assembly of the Cuban Resistance calls for criminal charges against the former Cuban dictator over the killing of Brothers to the Rescue members.

Feb. 18, 2026 at 9:55pm

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

The Assembly of the Cuban Resistance (ARC) is calling for the criminal prosecution of former Cuban dictator Raúl Castro over the 1996 killing of four American members of the Brothers to the Rescue humanitarian organization. The group is organizing a vigil in Miami to mark the 30th anniversary of the incident, in which Cuban military planes shot down two Brothers to the Rescue planes over international waters, killing the four Americans on board.

Why it matters

The 1996 massacre of the Brothers to the Rescue members is considered a major crime against humanity committed by the Cuban regime. Prosecuting Raúl Castro, who was the de facto leader of Cuba at the time, would hold the regime accountable for this attack on American citizens and could set a precedent for further legal action against Cuban officials for human rights abuses.

The details

On February 24, 1996, Brothers to the Rescue - a Miami-based anti-communist group - sent three planes over international waters to conduct humanitarian missions to rescue Cuban refugees attempting to flee the island. Cuban military planes shot down two of the Brothers to the Rescue planes, killing American citizens Carlos Costa, Armando Alejandre, Mario de la Peña, and Pablo Morales. The third plane managed to escape after an intense chase.

  • The incident occurred on February 24, 1996.
  • February 24, 2026 will mark the 30th anniversary of the massacre.

The players

Raúl Castro

The former dictator of Cuba who was the de facto leader of the country at the time of the 1996 massacre of the Brothers to the Rescue members.

Assembly of the Cuban Resistance (ARC)

A Miami-based organization of Cuban exiles that is calling for the criminal prosecution of Raúl Castro over the 1996 killings.

Brothers to the Rescue

A Miami-based anti-communist charity organization that conducted humanitarian missions to rescue Cuban refugees attempting to flee the island in the 1990s.

Carlos Costa, Armando Alejandre, Mario de la Peña, and Pablo Morales

The four American members of Brothers to the Rescue who were killed when Cuban military planes shot down their planes in 1996.

Orlando Gutiérrez-Boronat

The coordinator of the Assembly of the Cuban Resistance who is calling for Raúl Castro's prosecution.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“This year marks the 30th anniversary of the massacre of Brothers to the Rescue, when these four idealistic young men were in international airspace trying to save the lives of Cubans like you and me, who were fleeing the hell that the regime has turned our country into.”

— Orlando Gutiérrez-Boronat, Coordinator, Assembly of the Cuban Resistance (Cubanet)

“These young men dedicated their free time, their flying hours, to rescuing those Cubans and saving them from death in the ocean. What did the communist regime in Cuba do? It massacred them in international airspace; it murdered them.”

— Orlando Gutiérrez-Boronat, Coordinator, Assembly of the Cuban Resistance (Cubanet)

“For these martyrs, for young people like these who gave their lives so that Cuba could be free. We must save Cuba.”

— Orlando Gutiérrez-Boronat, Coordinator, Assembly of the Cuban Resistance (Cubanet)

What’s next

The Assembly of the Cuban Resistance is organizing a vigil on February 23, the eve of the 30th anniversary of the Brothers to the Rescue massacre, to call for the prosecution of Raúl Castro.

The takeaway

The 1996 massacre of the Brothers to the Rescue members remains a painful chapter in the history of Cuban-American relations, and the push to hold the Castro regime accountable for this crime against humanity reflects the ongoing efforts of the Cuban exile community to seek justice and prevent such atrocities from happening again.