Washington, Feb 18 (NationPress) A group of four Republican lawmakers has called upon President Donald Trump to instruct the Justice Department to reopen a criminal investigation regarding Cuban leader Raul Castro’s purported involvement in the 1996 downing of two civilian aircraft operated by the humanitarian group, Brothers to the Rescue. They are advocating for potential charges and international arrest warrants.

Congresswoman Maria Elvira Salazar collaborated with Representatives Mario Diaz-Balart, Carlos Gimenez, and Nicole Malliotakis in sending a letter to the President urging a thorough review of the case. The correspondence requests that the Justice Department “officially reopen the criminal inquiry into Raul Castro’s involvement” in the tragic incident and to contemplate pursuing charges, including possible Interpol “red notices,” against Castro and other officials from Cuba.

The lawmakers emphasized the need for the Department to “reassess previously gathered evidence, reconsider command accountability at the apex of the Cuban regime, and utilize every legal avenue to ensure that those responsible for the deaths of three American citizens and one US permanent resident are held accountable.”

“For many years, Raul Castro and the regime officials who orchestrated this heinous attack have concealed themselves behind a ruthless dictatorship, evading justice while the victims' families have borne the pain alone. Now, we possess a genuine opportunity to rectify this historical wrong,” Salazar proclaimed.

“We are urging the Justice Department to reopen the investigation, follow the evidence to the top, and employ all legal means, including international arrest warrants, to ensure accountability for those responsible for the murder of Americans. This was a military operation sanctioned by the regime at the highest levels. The evidence is indisputable, the accountability is clear, and the age of impunity must come to an end,” she stated.

“President Trump stands as a strong ally and a beacon of hope for courageous activists fighting for democracy, while firmly opposing the tyrants that suppress them,” Diaz-Balart remarked. He highlighted that February 24 “will signify thirty years since the atrocious shootdown of two unarmed civilian aircraft in international waters by the Cuban military, commanded by then-Defense Minister Raul Castro.”

Gimenez asserted, “The evidence is compelling, the command structure is evident, and responsibility points directly to Raul Castro.” He stressed that “The time has arrived for the Justice Department to take action and hold Raul Castro accountable for the murders of innocent Americans.”

“For three decades, the Castro regime has evaded justice for the cold-blooded killings of American citizens, and it is far overdue to hold Raul Castro responsible for this atrocious act,” Malliotakis stated.

The letter was also forwarded to Attorney General Pam Bondi. The lawmakers praised the President’s leadership in reinstating security and justice within US foreign policy and reiterated their conviction that Raúl Castro is culpable for the crime.

Brothers to the Rescue was a humanitarian organization based in Miami, established to locate and assist Cuban rafters escaping the Castro regime. On February 24, 1996, Cuban military MiG fighter jets shot down two unarmed civilian aircraft operated by the group over international waters in the Florida Straits, resulting in the deaths of three American citizens and one US permanent resident.