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One World with Zain Asher

DOJ Indicts Former Cuban Leader Raul Castro; WHO Director-General: At Least 139 Deaths Linked to Ebola Outbreak; San Diego Suspects Appear to Have Been Radicalized Online; Acting AG Blanche Speaks on Raul Castro Indictment. Aired 1-2p ET

Aired May 20, 2026 - 13:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[13:00:00]

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN Breaking News.

BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN ANCHOR: Hello everyone, live from New York, I'm Bianna Golodryga.

ZAIN ASHER, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Zain Asher. You are watching the second hour of One World. We want to begin with what could be a major escalation

in the Trump administration's pressure campaign against Cuba.

GOLODRYGA: The U.S. government has just unsealed a criminal indictment against former Cuban leader Raul Castro. The indictment against the 94-

year-old stems from a deadly incident three decades ago in international airspace near Cuba.

ASHER: Three Americans were among four people killed when the Cuban Air Force shot down two civilian planes belonging to a Cuban-American activist

group. Expect to hear from Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche at any moment now. We'll bring that to you live as soon as it happens.

CNN Senior National Security Reporter Jennifer Hansler kicks off our coverage. So, Jennifer, just in terms of these criminal charges being

announced against Raul Castro, I mean, this is all part of this pressure campaign, an economic pressure campaign, and a political pressure campaign

that the U.S. is really leveraging over the island. Just walk us through what we can actually expect from Todd Blanche when we hear from him

shortly.

JENNIFER HANSLER, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY REPORTER: Well, that's right, Zain. This is a significant escalation in that ongoing campaign

against Havana. When we hear from Todd Blanche, we expect him to kick off, of course, with the fact that the U.S. has now indicted the former

president of Cuba, Raul Castro, stemming back toward that 1996 shootdown of a plane that killed three Americans.

Now, they have just unsealed that indictment against both Castro and five other defendants. The charges that were unveiled against Castro are

conspiracy to kill U.S. nationals, destruction of aircraft, and murder. So, they are going to announce those charges.

Among the other defendants is one of the pilots on the Cuban aircraft that did shoot down that U.S. plane that was going towards Cuba for what they

say was delivering humanitarian aid and assisting with a humanitarian effort. The Cubans at the time said that it was their airspace. The U.S.

contends that that was international airspace in which they were shot down.

Of course, this indictment is decades in the making, but the context of it being announced today is, of course, among that pressure campaign to try to

drive out the Castro regime from the government of Cuba. This comes after hours after Secretary of State Marco Rubio released a video message

directly to the people of Cuba. He did this in Spanish. He was saying that the Trump administration is ready to work with the Cuban people, and the

only thing standing in the way is the government that is currently in charge. Take a listen to something else he said in that message.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARCO RUBIO, U.S. SECRETARY (through translator): We are offering $100 million in food and medicine for you, the people. But they must be

distributed directly by the Cuban people, by the Catholic Church or other trusted charitable groups, not stolen by GAESA to sell in one of their

stories.

In the U.S., we are ready to open a new chapter in the relationship between our people and our countries. And currently, the only thing standing in the

way of a better future are those who control your country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANSLER: And, of course, it's significant, too, that he brings up that offer of humanitarian aid, as this economic blockade on the island has

continued to squeeze the situation on the ground. There are rolling blackouts. There are shortages of food.

And Rubio and the Trump administration is trying to put the blame for that not on the administration's policies, but on the Cuban government, what

seems to be an attempt here to have the people of Cuba perhaps rise up against their sitting government there.

Now, of course, the other thing to note with his indictment is that this is following perhaps a similar playbook to what we saw in Venezuela, where the

United States leveled an indictment against Nicolas Maduro, only to then take military action to remove him from that country.

Now, we don't know whether it's something like that is in the offing here in Cuba. However, President Donald Trump has repeatedly suggested that he

could use military force against the island. So, there is a lot here at play. And the pressure is ratcheting up here with this indictment. Zain,

Bianna.

ASHER: All right. Jennifer Hansler, thank you.

GOLODRYGA: CNN's Patrick Oppmann joins us now from the Cuban capital of Havana.

[13:05:00]

So, Patrick, this indictment has been expected now for at least the last few days after we were getting word that it would come today from the DOJ.

I'm curious what the reaction within Cuba of those around you that you are speaking with, because it does come with risk if the U.S. does choose to

extract and come in physically the way we saw in Venezuela with Maduro to bring the 94-year-old Castro to the United States. And this coupled with

that message of humanitarian health and an offer for a change in relationship from the secretary of state as well. How is this all being

received?

PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know what, I've told Cuban officials, you know, about the fact that this indictment was apparently

coming, that it was a real possibility. The immediate reaction from those officials was that they would lay down their life for Raul Castro.

You know, this is not some ex-president, some long-forgotten figure. This is Fidel Castro's brother. They still call him the founder of the

revolution. The army general here, he essentially still runs the Cuban military. He's very involved with all the decision-making that goes on

because every top Cuban official, military or political, was handpicked by Raul Castro. So, this is someone who remains the most powerful figure on

this island.

And certainly, the United States thinks by targeting Raul Castro legally that they're putting more pressure on him, and that could lead to a deal.

It may have the opposite impact. It may just cause the Cubans to circle the wagons and to say, if the U.S. is going to take these kinds of steps, talk

about invading and taking Raul Castro like they did with Nicolas Maduro, even if it's just a limited military operation, well, then we just need to

prepare for that and not think about making any concessions.

There's been a lot of frustration, really, on both sides of the Florida Straits. But with the U.S., they have applied so much pressure on Cuba,

this oil blockade, getting companies that do business here, foreign companies, to essentially pressure them to leave. So, companies that have

been bringing food here, the precious food that there is on this island, many of those shipping companies are saying they will no longer do business

with Cuba because of U.S. pressure.

So, the situation gets worse and worse by the day, but we don't see any signs on the part of the Cuban government that they're willing to relent.

So, this is a serious escalation. It's something we've never seen here through all the years of hostilities and tensions that the U.S. takes this

kind of step.

And I'll say that on the Cubans' part, they take this very, very seriously. They saw what took place in Venezuela with their close ally, Nicolas

Maduro. Of course, you had dozens of Cuban troops that died there defending Maduro, that were part of his inner circle, guarding him.

So, Cuba's already had losses of life. And what we're seeing now is officials telling the population to get ready for the chaos that would come

from military strikes on this island. And that is, they as well expect something along those lines to happen. They are preparing for it. And what

Cuban officials have warned the U.S. is that it would be a bloodbath. So, it certainly, at this point, from my vantage point here, it seems like

we're getting farther away from a deal, not closer to one.

GOLODRYGA: All right. Patrick Oppmann, thank you so much.

ASHER: All right. Let's take a closer look at this developing situation with Christopher Sabatini. He's the director of the Latin America Program

at Chatham House, a London think tank. Christopher, thank you so much for being with us again this hour.

So, just in terms of context here, I mean, back in December, prior to the capture of Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela, because you and I were speaking

about the parallels between what's happening in Cuba and what's happening, of course, in Venezuela.

Prior to the actual capture of Nicolas Maduro, I spoke to many analysts on this show about the pressure campaign that the U.S. was revving up against

Venezuela. And very few people would have seen that coming, this idea that we would wake up on a Saturday morning and Nicolas Maduro would be in his

tracksuit on a U.S. plane on his way to a jail in Brooklyn. Very few people saw that coming. And as it pertains to the Iran war on February 28th, the

U.S. was actually in the middle of negotiating with Iran through Qatari mediators.

And then you had a situation whereby the ayatollah was killed again on a weekend morning. Very few people would have seen that coming as well. Few

people I spoke to would have seen or would have foreseen that the ayatollah would be killed by Americans.

Just in terms of how this situation is going to play out, what would you predict? I mean, do you think that there will be a situation where the U.S.

tries to extract Raul Castro and bring him to the United States? How do you think this is going to play out with any kind of military intervention, or

will enough economic and political pressure work for the U.S. to achieve its aims?

CHRISTOPHER SABATINI, DIRECTOR, LATIN AMERICAN PROGRAMME, CHATHAM HOUSE: Well, first of all, Zain, thank you for your confidence in me to be able to

predict something that others couldn't predict in the two previous cases. We believe in you, Chris. But in this case, I mean, it is following a very

similar playbook. I think two things are very important here.

[13:10:00]

The first one is that, yes, you know, by indicting Raul Castro the U.S. is trying to, you know, put basically some individual in their crosshairs. The

problem there is that Raul Castro still has a child, Alejandro, who's worked for the Interior Ministry, and a grandson, Raulito, who works as a

security guard.

So, you know, just removing one person from the U.S. is not going to be enough. It's not going to be enough. It's not going to be enough. This is a

revolutionary regime that is very deeply integrated. It's very solidified in that way, in ways the Venezuelan government wasn't. There's no obvious

sort of successor that you can find who's as pliable as, say, Delcy Rodriguez is, or seems to be, let's say, in the short-term. This is much

more difficult.

So, you know, there may be, I'll hedge my bets here, Zain, there may be an extraction in the offing. But I think more the first hope is that somehow

they can rattle this government to do what they've hoped would happen basically since, well, even since 2017, when Trump reimposed the embargo,

the idea that people will rise up, there'll be defections within the regime, and they won't have to necessarily get their hands dirty.

But here's the second issue, as you cited in the case of Venezuela and Iran, if that doesn't happen, there is a certain escalation, a logic, and a

momentum here that could lead to things that we can't predict, precisely because the rhetoric has been so heated. Now, they're in Miami, unsealing

this indictment, basically revving up the Cuban-American base in Miami, building up its expectations. And of course, Trump has been saying for a

while that Cuba's ready to fall, it's a collapsed state, it's there for his taking, he can do whatever he wants. It's difficult to back down from these

statements and from this sort of escalation that's happened so far.

So, as they're ramping up, we really don't know if this doesn't produce the easy results, I think they're hoping for. I don't know what they'll do. I

think we can imagine, and here I will make a prediction, you can remind me if I'm wrong, there could be some air raid campaigns, there could be some

forms of strikes. I don't imagine there'll be boots on the ground. That is very complicated.

There is a risk here, though, that Cuban-Americans themselves may take matters into their own hands and try to inject some sort of momentum on the

island and protest on the island that could involve Americans again being the victims of Cuban repression. And that's very much the risk. And that

would draw the United States in.

So, quite frankly, the White House and Marco Rubio are walking a very fine line here, doubling down and hoping their double down will actually produce

a result that doesn't require more drastic and dramatic action that could lock the U.S. in and really make it own Cuba and any subsequent result or

solution.

GOLODRYGA: Yes, it really is interesting to see the split screen, Chris. On the one hand, we have the stick from the DOJ with this indictment some

30 years later. On the other hand, the same day as Cuba's official Independence Day, you have the secretary of state, himself the son of Cuban

refugees, speaking in perfect Spanish directly to the Cuban people, offering them a carrot by the means of $100 million in humanitarian aid and

saying there is a different path for you to take here, for your government, for our governments to take together, and specifically drawing and pointing

a line to a communistic, kleptocratic sham that is in the form of GAESA. And this is some $18 billion in assets that controls, that the government

controls some 70 percent of the country's economy with.

Is that an effective message, do you think, from the secretary of state today?

SABATINI: Well, first of all, we saw when Barack Obama went to Cuba in person, spoke on live TV, and raised many of the issues of human rights and

democracy of the Cubans. We have to remember, when Marco Rubio is doing this, this is through the imperfect sort of Radio Marti and other sort of

U.S. services, which have been drastically cut by the Trump administration, by the way. So, it's not clear this message will reach many Cuban ears,

first of all.

Second of all, they know this is a corrupt regime. They know this is a repressive regime. The embargo has been in place since 1962, always with

this premise somehow that people will rise up and overthrow the government. This is a repressive government. It doesn't care largely what its people

do. It will repress, it will.

More than 1 million Cubans have left Cuba since 2020. There's always a safety valve of leaving the island. This uprising is something that's been

talked about for a long time. I simply can't see it happening because the costs are so great. And quite frankly, given all the Cubans that have left,

that served as a safety valve to release a lot of the pressure and the people that would take to the streets. So, I don't see how that will

happen. It could be very risky.

But let's be honest. We saw the same thing happen in Iran, too. When Donald Trump was telling the Iranians to rise up, this is their best chance in

generations to change the regime. Those messages were also being sent to Venezuela and to the Venezuelan military before the extraction of Maduro.

This is their classic playbook. So, far, it hasn't worked.

[13:15:00]

ASHER: That is an interesting point. Chris Sabatini, thank you.

SABATINI: Thank you.

ASHER: And thank you very much for attempting to make a prediction for me. We'll see how this plays out.

SABATINI: You can remind me if I was wrong.

GOLODRYGA: We'll hold you to it. We'll see how this plays out.

ASHER: I'm sure it won't be long. All right. Again, we do expect Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche to address the media at any moment. That's

the podium there in Miami, Florida. We will bring that to you as soon as it happens.

GOLODRYGA: Meantime, coming up for us, the latest on the Ebola outbreak and our conversation with government minister from the DRC, what he had to

say about missing early warning signs. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ASHER: All right. Moments ago, the U.S. government unsealed the criminal indictment against former Cuban leader Raul Castro.

GOLODRYGA: And we're waiting for Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche to speak about the charges in Miami. This moment is three decades in the

making. The indictment focuses on the now 94-year-old's alleged role in a deadly incident at an international airspace near Cuba in 1996. As soon as

the acting attorney general approaches the podium, we'll bring that event to you live.

ASHER: All right. The Democratic Republic of Congo is defending its response to the Ebola virus outbreak. A short time ago, I actually spoke

with the Congolese Minister for Communications, who told me the government would soon be able to share more details about what happened.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PATRICK MUYAYA KATEMBWE, COMMUNICATION AND MEDIA MINISTER, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO: I can understand that people can say it was

detected late. I can understand this argument. But, you know, it's about following case. It's about seeing some symptoms. And people, in the

beginning, people were thinking that it was like a mystic sickness coming from nowhere, because some people can have, like, traditional antitrust.

But now that we are aware of what was going on, and we took, I think it was last Friday when the health minister came to inform the government, and we

were able to declare officially the 17th epidemic. And now, everything is on way. And I think in the coming days, we'll have more light on what's

going on and what's happened before.

So, we will be able, as we did in the past, to provide the right answer with our people. We are, as I was saying before, well-experienced on

managing this crisis.

[13:20:00]

ASHER: One of the things that some people have talked about is this idea that the healthcare infrastructure in the DRC is already relatively

fragile. Obviously, the DRC is also no stranger to conflict. And on top of this, you have had USAID cuts, as you and I both know.

So, just in terms of what sort of assistance you need from other countries, how can the International Community step up and provide the resources that

the DRC needs in order to tackle this particular strain?

KATEMBWE: I think mainly what we need is going to be logistic, because this is located at more than 2,000 kilometers from Kinshasa. Don't forget

that there is one case actually in Goma. Goma was under Rwandan occupation, and I think the best way for us, if we need to follow closely what is going

on in Goma, Rwanda should just get out from DRC, because they choose to close the border in a city where the airport is already closed. It's a

clear sign that they won't be able to tackle this situation, as our people deserve to be very well taken care of, even in Goma.

But what is clear now is that we will need some logistic, because as I was telling you before, DRC has the best specialists in the COVID-19 outbreak.

We have experience in the way we can manage that. Any assistance coming from international partners is welcome, and it will be very useful.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOLODRYGA: The WHO says that globally there are currently 600 suspected cases and 139 deaths thought to be linked to the virus. The head of the WHO

says there is serious concern now that this outbreak will continue to spread.

All right. Police have identified the suspects in Monday's deadly shooting at a San Diego mosque that left three people dead. New ring camera video

from a nearby suburban street appears to capture shots being fired from the vehicle used by the suspects before and after the mosque attack.

ASHER: The FBI says that two teen suspects who died of apparent self- inflicted gunshot wounds appear to have been radicalized online. They met online and a document described as a manifesto has actually been uncovered

and recovered by law enforcement. The daughter of the security guard who was killed as he defended the mosque gave an emotional tribute.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HAWAA ABDULLAH, DAUGHTER OF SECURITY GUARD KILLED IN MOSQUE SHOOTING: Allah says, when one door closes, another one opens. All of our community

and help and support we have received shows us another door has been opened. Even though he's passed and he's not here right now to be with us,

you guys all being here, having all these people here to support us, stand with us side by side, that's another door that I believe God has opened for

us. And I really, really appreciate it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOLODRYGA: It was one of Abdullah's eight children who now have lost their father in the line of fire in an act of heroism. CNN's Josh Campbell has

the latest from Los Angeles. And Josh, what more are we learning as this investigation continues?

JOSH CAMPBELL, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: Well, I warn our viewers that these new details may be disturbing, but we're getting insight into the

apparent motive in Monday's attack at the Islamic Center of San Diego.

Police say it appears to be -- they appear to have been motivated by a wide range of grievances. And we've actually reviewed some of their writings.

There's this 75-page so-called manifesto. It's this hate-filled screed. I'm not going to quote from it. I mean, a lot of these killers want notoriety

beyond the grave, but basically it includes a lot of disturbing things about a lot of different groups.

We're also learning that the suspects video live streams of this attack. Again, we're not going to show that, but it is quite graphic. We see

towards the end of that, after the attack, they drive away, pull over. One of them shoots the other suspect and then kills himself. So, really, really

quite graphic. You know, one extremist expert -- expert in extremism that we spoke with said that based on these writings it appears to be that these

were two neo-Nazis, which obviously extremely concerning.

As the investigation continues into them, we're also getting new insight just into that heroic action by the security guard at the mosque. His name

was Amin Abdullah. What authorities say is that he quickly engaged those suspects in gunfire, essentially drawing them away from the mosque, which

that provided precious moments for the people who are inside the mosque worshipping to include over a hundred children to then flee to safety.

Take a listen here to the San Diego police chief talking about these heroic efforts.

[13:25:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SCOTT WAHL, SAN DIEGO POLICE CHIEF: His actions, without a doubt, delayed, distracted, and ultimately deterred these two individuals from gaining

access to the greater areas of the mosque, where as many as 140 kids were within 15 feet of these suspects.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAMPBELL: And the chief said that in addition to the security guard, there were two other worshippers there at the mosque who also helped distract the

two shooters as people fled to safety. So, we're talking about the heroic efforts of three people here, but for their actions and laying down their

own life, this would have been catastrophic.

Finally, the investigation continues. There are a lot of questions that remain to include how these suspects, aged 17 and 18 years old, actually

obtained firearms. We're learning that one of the parents of them said that their firearms were missing. But here where I am in the state of

California, where this incident took place, there are very strict gun laws when it comes to safely storing your weapons. And so, we're waiting to see

whether, in fact, anyone may face prosecution for the fact that these suspects were able to gain access to those weapons.

And then the big question, did anyone pick up on any warning signs? You know, I read through that manifesto and I could tell you as a former FBI

agent that this is really a textbook case of what analysts call the pathway to violence. No one wakes up one day and just thinks, I'm going to go

conduct an attack there. This usually happens over time where they have grievances. They start building on those. They finally decide to act.

And along the way, profilers say that people will exude warning signs. The big question here, guys, is did they did anyone else who knew them, any

associates understand that something might be wrong? And if so, why didn't they pick up the phone and call police?

GOLODRYGA: Yes. As you were explaining to us yesterday, one of the suspect's mothers did call the police, I guess, when she was concerned

about her son's mental state and the fact that the weapons were taken. But sadly, that was far too late. Josh Campbell, thank you. Appreciate it.

CAMPBELL: Of course.

ASHER: All right. Still to come, three decades in the making. The Trump administration has secured criminal charges against former Cuban President

Raul Castro. More on what he's been indicted for, ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:30:00]

ASHER: All right. I want to go live now to Miami, Florida, where acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche is about to speak about the charges they

unveiled against Cuban leader -- or former Cuban leader Raul Castro. Let's listen in.

MADELINE PUMARIEGA, PRESIDENT, MIAMI-DADE COLLEGE: Looking for hope and opportunity. Today is their day.

For generations of Cuban exiles, this building became more than a processing center. It became a symbol that freedom was still possible, a

symbol that democracy, human dignity and human rights matter. Today, we remember the four brave men of the Brothers to the Rescue whose lives were

taken on February 24, 1996, not in war, but during a humanitarian mission rooted in compassion and encourage. Their sacrifice became a painful

reminder to the world of the brutality of the Cuban regime and the high price so many have paid for speaking freely, defending democracy and

standing for human rights.

We also recognize the countless victims who have suffered under the Cuban regime across generations, prisoners, families separated by exile. Those

silenced for dissonance and all who have endured persecution, all in the pursuit of freedom and dignity. Their stories, our stories are part are

part of the larger story of Cuba, but also the part of the story of Miami and this Freedom Tower itself.

As we gather today, may we honor the memory of those not only with reflection, but with renewed commitment to truth, to justice and to the

preservation of the democratic values for future generations. Thank you for being here today for this important commemoration. May God bless each of

you. And may God bless the United States of America.

And to our brothers and sisters in Cuba, we hear you. Freedom will come. Cuba will be libre.

It is now my distinct honor, representing all of you, to introduce the United States acting attorney general, Todd Blanche.

TODD BLANCHE, ACTING U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL: Thank you. Thank you very much. It's great to be here in in the great State of Florida.

Today, we are announcing an indictment charging Raul Castro and several others with conspiracy to kill U.S. nationals.

Mr. Castro and the others are charged with additional crimes as well, including destruction of aircraft and four individual counts of murder. The

indictment was returned by a grand jury sitting in this district of Miami on April 23, 2026, and was unsealed today for nearly 30 years, 30 years,

the families of four murdered Americans have waited for justice. On February -- this is a story all too familiar.

[13:35:00]

On February 24, 1996, two civilian aircraft operated by Brothers to the Rescue were shot down over international waters by military aircraft from

Cuba. Four men were killed. Carlos Costa, Armando Alejandre Jr., Mario de la Pena and Pablo Morales. They were unarmed civilians and were flying

humanitarian missions for the rescue and protection of people fleeing oppression across the Florida Straits.

As alleged in the indictment, Raul Castro and five co-defendants participated in a conspiracy that ended with Cuban military aircraft firing

missiles at those civilian planes and killing four Americans. Those are the allegations returned by a federal grand jury.

My message today is clear. The United States and President Trump does not and will not forget its citizens.

I want to say that we also do not forget the families, the loved ones and the friends who have carried grief and heartache for 30 years.

For the first time in nearly 70 years, senior leadership of the Cuban regime has been charged in this country, in the United States of America,

for acts of violence resulting in the deaths of American citizens. Nations and their leaders cannot be permitted to target Americans, kill them and

not face accountability. President Trump is committed to restoring a very simple but important principle, if you kill Americans, we will pursue you

no matter who you are, no matter what title you hold. And in this case, no matter how much time has passed.

I want to thank and everybody in this room should thank the FBI, the prosecutors and the agents who worked on this matter. It includes the

intelligence community and our federal and state law enforcement partners. They did the work here. So, thank you.

There's a reason why myself and the senator and other leadership are here and not in Washington, D.C. to announce this indictment. The community

here, you all, understands the history of the Cuban regime better than anyone in America. Many families here know the cost of oppression. I've

heard stories over the past week and past months, every one of them heartbreaking. They know that the pain caused by the regime did not stop at

the island's shores. And today's indictment, while it does not bring back the murdered victims, it makes a statement.

The United States government has not forgotten these innocent men who were shot out of the sky. And as in every criminal case, the defendants are

presumed innocent until proven guilty by a jury of their peers. But today, the Department of Justice has taken an important step and brought this

indictment.

I'm proud to stand here on this podium with U.S. Attorney Jason Reding Quinones to my right, Chris Rea, deputy director of the FBI.

You're going to get to clap, you're going to get to clap for Jason in 20 seconds. Chris Rea, deputy director of the FBI, and James Uthmeier, the

attorney general of this great state.

And your great U.S. senator is here as well. She's very busy in D.C., but wouldn't miss this for the world. So, thank you for being here, Senator.

So, I want to thank Jason for his leadership down here in Florida. He's doing a great job beyond today. And I'd also ask him to replace me at the

podium to say a few words.

So, thank you, Jason, very much.

[13:40:00]

JASON REDING QUINONES, U.S. ATTORNEY: Good afternoon and thank you all for being here. It may sound a little repetitive, some of the things we're

saying, but they're worthy of saying twice, three times, a hundred times. So, bear with us.

For nearly 70 years, the communist Cuban regime has acted with impunity in its systematic repression of its people. And for the last 30 years, this

regime's senior leadership has gone unchallenged for its murder of four Americans. Today, the United States announces a historic indictment

charging Raul Castro and five co-defendants for their roles in the February 24, 1996, shootdown of two brothers to the rescue.

A Miami grand jury has charged these defendants with conspiracy to kill U.S. nationals, destruction of aircraft, and four counts of murder. The

victims were four unarmed civilian pilots engaged in humanitarian work. Carlos Costa, Armando Alejandre Jr., Mario de la Pena, and Pablo Morales.

They were not combatants, they were not armed, and they posed no threat.

According to the indictment, Raul Castro, then minister of the Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces, authorized and oversaw a military chain of

command that ended with Cuban fighter jets firing air-to-air missiles at civilian aircraft over international waters. Those missiles destroyed the

planes without warning and killed all aboard.

For 30 years, the families have waited. The Miami community has waited, and our country has waited. Today is a step towards accountability. This is the

first time in almost 70 years that a senior leadership of the Cuban regime has been charged in the United States for acts of violence resulting in the

death of Americans. The passage of time does not erase murder. It does not diminish the value of those lives, and it does not weaken our commitment to

the rule of law.

Standing here in the Freedom Tower gives this moment added meaning. This is the Ellis Island for Cuban refugees. It was the main processing center for

countless exiles who fled communist Cuba with the hopes of reaching the American dream. My own mother spent her first night in the United States in

this very building.

After fleeing brutal communist Cuba, like so many families in Miami, mine understands what it means to arrive here with little more than hope and a

chance to rebuild under the protection of American law. That history reminds me of the duty we carry, a duty to seek justice for victims, a duty

to stand with families who have carried this pain for decades, and a duty to make it clear that those who kill Americans cannot simply wait out

American justice.

Today's date, May 20th, also carries deep meaning for the Cuban people. It is their fourth of July. It marks Cuba's independence from colonial Spain.

It reminds us that the pursuit of freedom, dignity, and accountability spans generations and still lives alive and well in the heart of the Cuban

community.

Today's indictment is one part of that long effort. When I came into office in August of last year, I made reviving this case a priority, and I want to

thank the team that made it happen. My first assistant, U.S. Attorney Yara Lorenzo Calucas, and my assistant United States Attorneys Abbie Waxman and

Mike Guilford.

[13:45:00]

In conjunction with FBI Miami's Cuba Squad, which we're not going to name or show their faces, for their commitment and drive to seeing this case

through, it's incredible work. I also want to thank Mr. Attorney General for his incredible support and steady leadership of the department.

And before I conclude, I also want to acknowledge the assistance of Florida Attorney General, Mr. John M. Sessions, for his incredible support and

efforts. Attorney General James Uthmeier and his team have been strong partners in this effort. Their support reflects the best of federal and

state law enforcement working together in service of justice.

With that, I turn the podium over to FBI's Deputy Director, Chris Rea. Thank you.

CHRISTOPHER REA, DEPUTY DIRECTOR, FBI: All right. Good afternoon, everyone. Before I begin, I specifically want to thank the attorney general

and, of course, the U.S. Attorney here for allowing me to speak to you all today. And I also want to thank you all for giving me the opportunity to

showcase the small part that the FBI played.

As was stated, today marks a significant moment in a long, long journey for justice, a journey that began 30 years ago with an unprovoked attack on

American lives. Four humanitarians were on a noble mission to help those fleeing oppression. Instead, their lives were violently taken in a reckless

act by the Cuban regime.

The FBI, the Department of Justice, and countless others never forgot them, and we never stopped hunting for the truth. Today's announcement shows that

if it's five months, five years, five decades, we will keep pursuing you and we'll keep pursuing anyone who intends to harm our citizens, and they

will face American justice.

I'd like to thank our dedicated special agents, our dedicated prosecutors, our dedicated intelligence analysts, and our dedicated professional staff,

as well as our counterintelligence program for never giving up. Enormous, enormous credit is due to the many teams across the 16 different FBI cases

regarding this matter, the teams who have worked to hold members of the Cuban government's WASP network accountable.

Our people have systematically and relentlessly searched for evidence, conducted countless interviews, and pieced together critical intelligence

for nearly three decades. They turned dead ends into fresh leads, and over the years that hard work has paid off with convictions of multiple

operatives for activities related to that vicious shootdown. The charges we announce today are only the latest milestone on that road to justice, a

road paved with persistence, partnership, and extreme, extreme resolve.

To anyone who spies on our country or harms our citizens, know this, the FBI, the Department of Justice, has a long memory. We will come after you

and we will find you.

As I close, I'd like to close with a personal antidote, as this is deeply personal to me. You see, I was a former member of the United States Coast

Guard right here in Miami Beach in Key West, Florida in the 1990s. I conducted numerous, numerous humanitarian missions with my fellow Coast

Guardsmen, rescuing Cuban citizens who were just trying to find a better life.

I also was fortunate enough to act as security during remembrance ceremonies held at the 12 nautical mile limit just outside of Cuban

territorial waters. I served on Coast Guard cutters that provided the security to the friends and family who were just trying to remember their

lost loved ones.

So, for me, today brings everything full circle. So, in that vein, we dedicate all three decades of casework to the memories of the loved ones

lost that day.

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To the victims, families, and friends, we stand with you as we hold those responsibilities to account.

Now, I'm going to turn it over to the U.S. Senator of this great state, Senator Moody. Thank you.

SEN. ASHLEY MOODY (R-FL): What a day. What a day. Three months ago, I joined you on the anniversary to mark the killing of Carlos Armando Mario

Pablo, and I said it was not a cold case. It was never a cold case. It was a never a whodunit. We always knew who was responsible for the killing of

those young men. That was three months ago. And I am so proud to join you today to say we're finally bringing justice to those families and not just

those families.

Everyone sitting here today for the past 30 years who have kept this case hot, who have met with me as the attorney general, who repeatedly met with

law enforcement, who repeatedly met with leaders, so many who came together and kept that case hot like those that are no longer with us, like Lincoln

Diaz-Balart. He would be right here in the front row today. They kept it hot.

And just three months later, we are standing here on this important day when Cuba --

GOLODRYGA: All right. We've just been listening to FBI Deputy Director and other DOJ officials announce indictments and sealing indictments charging

94-year-old Raul Castro, the brother of Fidel Castro, along with five other people with murder and a conspiracy to kill U.S. citizens stemming from the

fatal downing 30 years ago of planes operated by a humanitarian aid group.

These charges were initially filed back from a case in 2003. And all of this coming as tensions are mounting between these two countries, the

President of the United States making no secret about the change that he wants to see on that island nation at almost any cost now.

I want to bring in Senior Justice Correspondent Evan Perez, who's joining us now from Washington, D.C. And so, we've got the blockade on the island,

continued pressure from the U.S. government for some sort of political and economic change there at the same time when there's a direct message from

the Secretary of State, Evan, to the Cuban people directly offering $100 million in humanitarian aid. Just talk about the timing of these documents

today being unsealed, these indictments and what it means.

EVAN PEREZ, CNN SENIOR U.S. JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, this is a case that they've been working on as some of the speakers there talked

about for a number of years. But the now, as you are kind of homing in on, is very important because, obviously, if Raul Castro is 94 years old, if

there is a window for the United States to try to bring him to justice in Miami and Southern Florida, now it is -- now is that time.

And so, if you talk to people inside the administration, inside the Justice Department, there is no mistake that they believe the timing here is of the

essence. They believe that this sets up a prelude for the president, giving the president the option, if he wants to, to send in the U.S. military to

grab Raul Castro and to grab anybody else that they believe needs to answer for these -- for the shootdown in 1996.

Obviously, doing something like that is a lot more complicated. The U.S. is involved in a war with Iran that obviously has gone much longer than they

anticipated. So, we don't know whether this is really what they're planning to do or whether they're just trying to add more pressure on the Cuban

government.

GOLODRYGA: All right. Evan Perez, thank you.

ASHER: Well, let's get some legal perspective on this indictment. Let's bring in former federal prosecutor Berit Berger. She's now a lecturer in

law at Columbia Law School. Barrett, thank you so much for being with us. Just walk us through what specific evidence prosecutors need to

specifically connect Raul Castro to this specific shootdown in 1996 of these two civilian planes.

BERIT BERGER, FORMER FEDERAL PROSECUTOR AND LECTURER IN LAW, COLUMBIA LAW SCHOOL: Yes. So, there's a lot of challenges that come along with an

indictment that alleges conduct that happened 30 years ago. So, you have to have evidence that can still be presented in a court of law now. So,

there's been reporting that there was some audio recordings where you hear Castro essentially confessing to being the one who ordered the attack.

[13:55:00]

That may well be admissible. We don't know yet. But you also probably need live witnesses to be able to corroborate that, to say, yes, in fact, this

is Castro. He's the one speaking. This is the context of that conversation. This is what we were speaking about.

I will be interested to see more from the Department of Justice about what evidence they have. I cannot imagine them bringing this indictment without

some sort of live witness, perhaps a cooperating witness that they may have developed in the last few decades.

The other challenge, of course, is anytime you have a defendant that is as old as Castro is, that definitely comes with some complications. You have

to be able to show that the defendant is still mentally capable of going to trial, that they have all their facilities there. So, that may present some

challenges as well. And then certainly, how do you house somebody that's that age safely and humanely in a way that accords with our justice system?

So, I think there will be complications, and I'll be interested to see from them, you know, more as the case goes on about how they intend to prove

this case.

GOLODRYGA: Yes, this is a case we first were reporting over the weekend. The indictments could be coming as soon as today. And there you see the

deputy attorney general there in Florida and also commemorating those four who were shot down that day 30 years ago as well. Their family members were

acknowledged in the audience as well. We'll continue to be following this case. Berit Berger, thank you so much for joining us.

ASHER: Appreciate it. All right. A quick recap now of our breaking news from the U.S. Justice Department. Right before we went on air, just about

an hour or so ago, the U.S. government unsealed a criminal indictment against former Cuban leader Raul Castro.

GOLODRYGA: The indictment focuses on the allegation that Castro, who's 94 years old, gave the order for a deadly strike in international airspace

near Cuba. Two civilian planes were shot down in 1996, resulting in the deaths of four people, three of them American.

All right. That does it for One World today. I'm Bianna Golodryga.

ASHER: And I'm Zain Asher. Thank you so much for watching. Isa Soares Tonight is next.

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