U.S. moving to indict Cuba's Raúl Castro, sources say.

By Jennifer Jacobs, Sarah N. Lynch

Updated on: May 15, 2026

The U.S. is taking steps to indict Raúl Castro, the 94-year-old former president of Cuba and brother of Fidel,in connection with the downing of planes 30 years ago, according to U.S. officials familiar with the matter.

The potential indictment — which would need to be approved by a grand jury — isexpected to focus on Cuba's deadly 1996 shootdown of planes operated by humanitarian group Brothers to the Rescue.

A Justice Department spokesperson declined to comment.

The plan comes as the U.S. heaps pressure on the Cuban government. The Trump administration has threatened heavy tariffs on any country that exports oil to Cuba, leading to energy shortages as oil shipments are largely cut off. President Trump has pressed for major reforms in Cuba and has floated a "friendly takeover" of the country.

The pressure on Cuba began to pick up in January, after the U.S. military removed Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from power and flew him to New York to face drug charges. Venezuela was a key partner of Cuba's before the operation.

Raúl Castro formally stepped down as the leader of Cuba's Communist Party in 2021, but he is still widely seen as one of the most powerful figures in the country. His grandson Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez Castro, known as "Raulito," is viewed as both a representative of the 94-year-old and a key point of contact between the U.S. and Cuba.

CIA Director John Ratcliffemet with the younger Castro on Thursday, following an earlier U.S. visit last month.Ratcliffe personally deliveredPresident Trump's message that theU.S. is "prepared to seriously engage on economic and security issues, but only if Cuba makes fundamental changes," a CIA official said. The official added that Cuba can "no longer be a safe haven for adversaries in the Western Hemisphere.

Miami's top federal prosecutor several months ago spearheaded a new initiative targeting Cuban communist leaders. That initiative, which involves federal and local law enforcement and theU.S. Treasury Department, is pursuing prosecutions involving economic crimes, drugs, violent crimes and immigration-related violations, with a focus ontargeting those in the Communist Party leadership, CBS News previously reported.

The incident that could ultimately lead to Castro's indictment dates back to February 1996, when two Cessnas operated by Brothers to the Rescue — anexile group that searched for Cubans seeking to flee the island on rafts — were shot down by a Cuban MiG-29 fighter jet, killing four people.

A report by the Organization of American States found theplanes were shot down outside Cuban airspace, and alleged thatCuba violated international law by shooting without warningand without evidence that it was necessary. The incident drew outrage at the time, with President Bill Cinton condemning it "in the strongest possible terms.”

Cuban officials have argued the shootdown was legitimate, claiming the group had violated Cuban airspace and sought to carry out acts of sabotage on infrastructure.

Fidel Castro told "CBS Evening News" anchor Dan Rather the Cuban military was acting on his "general orders" to stop planes from encroaching on the country. At the time of the Brothers to the Rescue shootdown, Fidel — who died in 2016 — was the country's leader, and Raúl led the armed forces.

One person, Gerardo Hernandez, was convicted in the U.S. of murder conspiracy in connection with the shootdown, after federal prosecutors alleged he was part of a spy ring that sought to pass on information about Brothers to the Rescue to the Cuban intelligence service. He was sentenced to life in prison, but was sent to Cuba in a 2014 prisoner swap.

Earlier this year, Florida's attorney general said at a news conference in Marchthat he was re-opening a shuttered state investigation into the same 1996 plane incident.

Florida Republican Sen. Rick Scott and other Florida lawmakers have also recently called on the Justice Department to charge Castro and bring him to justice in the United States.

In a social media post Thursday evening in response to the CBS News report, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis wrote,"Let 'er rip, it's been a long time coming!"

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/us-moving-to-indict-cubas-raul-castro-officials-say/

CIA Director John Ratcliffe makes rare trip to Cuba as island nation faces energy crisis

By Olivia Gazis

May 14, 2026 / 7:31 PM EDT / CBS News

CIA Director John Ratcliffe traveled to Havana, Cuba, on Thursday for a rare meeting with senior Cuban officials, an agency official told CBS News, using the visit to deliver a message that the U.S. was prepared to expand economic and security engagement with Cuba if Havana "makes fundamental changes."

The meeting came as Cuba is contending with a massive power failure to its national energy grid amid U.S. sanctions that have caused an oil and gas shortage crisis to the island nation.

Ratcliffe met with Raúl Rodriguez Castro — the grandson of former Cuban President Raúl Castro.

Multiple U.S. officials later confirmed to CBS News Thursdaythat the U.S. is taking steps to indict the 94-year-old Raúl Castro in connection with Cuba's deadly 1996 shootdown of planesoperated by humanitarian group Brothers to the Rescue. Raúl Castro is the brother of Fidel Castro.

Also in Thursday'smeeting were Cuban Interior Minister Lazaro Alvarez Casas and the head of Cuba's intelligence services, the CIA official said, adding the group"discussed intelligence cooperation, economic stability, and security issues, all against thebackdrop that Cuba can no longer be a safe haven for adversariesin the Western Hemisphere."

Ratcliffe told Cuban leadersthe administration was offering "a genuine opportunity for collaboration" and a chance to stabilize Cuba's struggling economy, while cautioning that the opportunity would not remain open indefinitely and theadministration would enforce "red lines" if necessary, the official said.

The meeting in Havana follows a series of public comments from President Trump that talks with Cuba were imminent. Earlier this week, Mr. Trump said"Cuba is asking for help," and indicated talks would begin "at the right time."

Cuban officials publicly confirmed Thursday's meeting, characterizing it as part of efforts tomaintain political dialoguedespite what Havana called "complex bilateral relations."

Cuban state media said officials had sought to convince the U.S. delegation that Cuba does not threaten American national security andshould be removed from the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism.

Earlier this week, the State Departmentrenewed an offer to provide an additional $100 million in direct humanitarian aidto the Cuban people through the Catholic Church and other independent groups, saying the assistance could move forward if Havana permitted it. Secretary of State MarcoRubio accused Cuba's government of blocking aid and refusing offers of support, including satellite internet access, amid the island's deepening economic crisis.

Cuban authorities said the island nation's national energy grid suffered a major failure early Thursday that severed power to the island's eastern provinces. Cuba'sleaders have said they would accept the aid as long as it comes "in full conformity with the universally recognized practices for humanitarian assistance."

In January, Ratcliffe traveled to Caracas to meet with Venezuela's interim President Delcy Rodríguez, marking the first Cabinet-level U.S. visit since the American operation that removed former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from power.

U.S. officials at the time saidRatcliffe carried a message from Mr. Trump that Washington was open to an "improved working relationship," whilewarning Venezuela could no longer serve as a haven for narcotraffickers and other U.S. adversaries.

Trump administration officials have increasingly framed Cuba, along with Venezuela, as part of awider geopolitical contest in the Western Hemisphere involving China, Russia and Iran.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/us-moving-to-indict-cubas-raul-castro-officials-say/

South Carolina Governor Calls Special Session on Redistricting to Reverse RINO Sabotage.

Governor of South Carolina HenryMcMaster (R) summoned state legislators to the General Assembly for a special session to redraw the state’s congressional map.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: South Carolina’s General Assembly has started its special legislative session to redraw the state’s congressional map, following a Supreme Court ruling that racially gerrmandered minority-majority districts are unconstitutional.

This follows a previous attempt to redistrict this week,which was sabotaged by a small number of Republican state senators siding with the Democrats to block it.

💬KEY QUOTE: “I have issued an Executive Order calling the General Assembly back foran extra legislative session to address the state budget and congressional districts beginning Friday, May 15, at 11:00 AM.” – Governor Henry McMaster on X.

📺DETAIL: On Thursday, Governor McMaster called for the South Carolina General Assembly, the state’s legislature, to hold a special legislative session to redraw South Carolina’s congressional maps. The governor’s announcement on X (formerly Twitter) follows the decision made by the U.S. Supreme Court during the Louisiana v. Callais case, in which provisions of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 mandating the creation of majority-minority districts were deemed racial gerrymandering, and thus unconstitutional.The ruling has since sparked a series of redraws across the country ahead of the 2026 midterm elections in November. The governor’s call for a special session comesafter several Republican state senators in South Carolina, including the Majority Leader, broke ranks and blocked a redistricting effort on Tuesday. The proposal would have turnedSouth Carolina’s sole Democrat district into a Republican-leaning one. However, while the previous vote failed because it fell just short of a supermajority in the state senate,the special session will require only a simple majority to pass the new map.

🎯 IMPACT: The special session reflects the intensifying nationwide scramble to redistrict ahead of the midterms in November.South Carolina’s special session reflects a broader pattern of states pursuing redistricting proposals that benefit the incumbent party. States like California and Virginia have advanced proposals favoring the Democrats,while states like Texas and Florida have made efforts to boost Republican representation. However,not every state will redistrict before the 2026 midterms. Georgia is set to redistrict in time for 2028 but not 2026, while recent comments from Governor of Mississippi Tate Reeves (R) suggest a redraw there is highly unlikely. (Kemp is a traitor and will do anything to keep Trump from having a strong Republican House and Senate!)

https://thenationalpulse.com/

The redistricting have brought out the RINO enemies that align with Democrats.

UK PM Starmer Withholding Key Documents in Investigation Into Epstein Pal Lord Mandelson.

A parliamentary committee has accused the British government ofcensoring and withholding critical documents related to Lord Peter Mandelson’s scandalous appointmentas U.S. ambassador.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has been accused ofwithholding and excessively redacting filesrelated to Lord Peter Mandelson’s appointment as British ambassador to the United States.

Mandelson, a former European Commissioner and Cabinet minister for Labour Party governments of former prime ministersTony Blair and Gordon Brown, was a close friend of Jeffrey Epstein, and is currently under police investigation forpassing the deceased pedophile sensitive government information.

📺DETAIL: The British Parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) has accused Starmer’s government ofapplying redactions to released documents too broadly. Key information has been removed from documents being used in a parliamentary investigation into Starmer’s appointment of Lord Mandelson as ambassador to the United States.

Furthermore, the ISC has accusedStarmer of withholding a vetting file on Lord Mandelson,despite a parliamentary order requiring full disclosure of all relevant documents, and has criticized the government.for conducting official business through unofficial channels such as WhatsApp.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Having seen how government is applying redactions… the committee has made clear that,in its view, they are being applied far too broadly – particularlyin the case of personal information.We note that no body has been commissionedto review those redactions and assure Parliament that they are within the spirit of the Humble Address.” – ISC statement

🎯IMPACT: The ISC’s accusations put additional pressure on the Prime Minister. Earlier in May, the governing Labour Party suffered heavy losses at the local elections, following a national scandal regarding his handling of Lord Peter Mandelson’s appointment as U.S. ambassador.

It was ultimately revealed that Lord Mandelson’s connection toEpstein was even closer than initially stated, resulting in his dismissal in September 2025. It was further revealed that United Kingdom Security Vetting (UKSV) had advised against his selection, and that the Prime Minister’s office had pressured the Foreign Office to accept the appointment regardless.

This week, a growing number of Labour Members of Parliament (MPs) have called on Starmer to resign. Wes Streeting, the now-former Health Secretary, resigned earlier this week, criticizing the Prime Minister’s lack of leadership.

Soon after, the Labour Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, announced his intention to stand in an upcoming by-election (special election) for a seat in Parliament, which would allow him to challenge Starmer for the party leadership.

https://thenationalpulse.com/2026/05/15/uk-pm-starmer-withholding-key-documents-in-investigation-into-epstein-pal-lord-mandelson/

>>24608249

Starmer is the gayest Prime Minister they ever elected. He won’t release the documents because him being a big ugly fag, will be in all the records, and I’m sure it’s disgusting and masochistic

Friday, May 15, 2026

Trump Says It Will Be ‘Tough’ for UK PM Starmer to Survive Ongoing Coup Attempt.

President Donald J. Trump has weighed in on the political turmoil overtaking British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, while criticizing his policies on immigration and energy.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: President Donald J. Trump addressed the ongoing efforts by members of British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour Party to force him out of office, following heavy losses to Nigel Farage’s Reform Party in English, Scottish, and Welsh local and regional elections last week.The President criticized Starmer’s handling of immigration and energy policy, predicting it will be “tough” for the British premier to survive.

💬KEY QUOTE: “It’s a tough thing, unless he can straighten out immigration—where he’s weak—and if he doesn’t start drilling and stop with the windmills all over the place… he’s got to open up the North Sea.” – President Trump

🎯IMPACT:Trump’s comments, made to reporters aboard Air Force One as he returns from a state visit to China,pile international pressure on Starmer, who is already facing a significant rebellion within his own party. Aroundone hundred Labour Members of Parliament (MPs) have called on him to resignfollowing last week’s election losses, and one Cabinet member and several junior government ministers and ministerial aides have resigned from his administration.

One Labour MP is resigning from Parliament to allow Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, to run for the seat in a by-election (special election), with the expectation that he will challenge Starmer for the Labour leadership and, by extension, the office of Prime Minister.

📰DETAIL: British prime ministers are not directly elected like U.S. presidents, instead relying on their ability to command majority support in the House of Commons to stay in office. Should Labour, which currently commands an outright majority in the Commons, oust him as Labour leader,he will be replaced as Prime Minister without a general election.

👀FLASHBACK: Starmer previously faced backlash from President Trump for initiallyblocking the U.S. from using a military base for strikes against Iran, a decision he later reversed under pressure.Trump has also publicly opposed Starmer’s “stupid” attemptsto give away the British-controlled Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean to China-aligned Mauritius, despite the fact that one of the islands hosts a key British-American military base.

https://thenationalpulse.com/2026/05/15/trump-says-it-will-be-tough-for-uk-pm-starmer-to-survive-ongoing-coup-attempt/

(The City of London commanded him to fight for the office, I doubt it will make a difference. Starmer would rather live in Switzerland anyway)