Salazar, Díaz-Balart, Giménez, Moody Mark 30 Years Since the Downing of the Brothers to the Rescue Planes; Call for Indictment of Raúl Castro

Miami, FL — Today, U.S. Representative María Elvira Salazar (FL-27) joined Representatives Mario Díaz-Balart (FL-26) and Carlos A. Giménez (FL-28), alongside Senator Ashley Moody (R-FL), family members of the victims, and leaders of the Cuban American exile community, to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the 1996 downing of two Brothers to the Rescue aircraft and to formally call for the indictment of Raúl Castro for his direct responsibility in the state-sponsored murder of four innocent men.

On February 24, 1996, Cuban military fighter aircraft intentionally shot down two unarmed civilian planes in international airspace, resulting in the deaths of Armando Alejandre Jr., Carlos A. Costa, Mario M. de la Peña, and Pablo Morales, three United States citizens and one lawful permanent resident.

Three decades later, the Members stood united in urging accountability at the highest levels of the Cuban regime and reaffirmed that justice for the victims remains a moral and legal imperative.

“For 67 years, the Cuban people, in Miami and on the island, have lived through repression and exile under the Castro regime,” said Rep. María Elvira Salazar. “As we mark the anniversary of the shooting down of two unarmed civilian planes and the killing of three U.S. citizens and one lawful permanent resident, we remember a crime that for decades went unanswered. But this moment is different. Under President Trump and Secretary Rubio, accountability is finally within reach. It’s time to indict Raúl Castro and bring this dictatorship to an end. Freedom is no longer a distant dream.”

“Thirty years ago, Raúl Castro carried out a brutal attack that murdered innocent Americans whose only mission was to save lives,” said Congressman Díaz- Balart. “We gather not only to honor their memory, but to reaffirm that crimes against Americans cannot be ignored, excused, or forgotten. There must be accountability for those responsible. I commend President Trump for his maximum pressure campaign against anti-American regimes and for always prioritizing our national security. The United States must continue to stand firmly with the Cuban people in their pursuit of freedom, justice, and democracy.”

“Today, we reaffirmed a simple truth: justice delayed is justice denied. Nearly three decades after the 1996 Brothers to the Rescue shootdown, the Castro regime has never been held accountable for the cold-blooded murder of Americans carrying out a humanitarian mission," said Rep. Gimenez. "The facts are clear, the evidence is overwhelming, and responsibility leads directly to Raúl Castro. If America First means defending our citizens and confronting tyranny in our hemisphere, then the time has come for the Department of Justice to act and finally hold Raúl Castro accountable.”

Last week, Representatives Salazar, Díaz-Balart, Giménez, and Malliotakis formally called on the Department of Justice to reopen its investigation into Raúl Castro and pursue every available legal avenue to achieve accountability.

Read the full letter here.

Watch Rep. Salazar’s full remarks here.