The Justice Department has charged Raúl Castro, the former president of Cuba, with murder and conspiracy. The charges relate to the downing of two planes 30 years ago off Cuba’s coast, resulting in the deaths of four American citizens.

The indictment, announced on Wednesday in Miami’s Federal District Court, comes as part of a broader pressure campaign by the Trump administration against Cuba’s Communist government. This move raises the stakes in the U.S. effort to challenge the Cuban regime.

Raúl Castro, aged 94, is the brother of Fidel Castro. The U.S. criminal justice system now holds him accountable with the possibility of a life sentence. The indictment suggests potential U.S. military action similar to previous operations in Venezuela.

The indictment, also charging five fighter pilots involved in the attack, was issued secretly by a grand jury last month. One pilot faced earlier charges in 2003 linked to the same incident.

At a Miami news conference, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, alongside U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones, accused Mr. Castro and the pilots of the February 24, 1996 attack. The planes flown by Brothers to the Rescue, a Cuban exile group, were targeted by the Cuban military.

Fidel Castro initially took responsibility for shooting down the planes, claiming they had dropped anti-regime leaflets over Havana. The indictment states that Raúl Castro also held accountability as the decision-maker in Cuba’s military command.