Raul Castro, 94, has been indicted in the US on charges tied to a 1996 military airstrike that killed four people, court records unsealed on Wednesday show.
The indictment, according to the unsealed records, brings one count of conspiracy to kill US nationals, four counts of murder, and two counts of destruction of aircraft.
Five other people are named as defendants in the case, including three Cuban military pilots, the records add.
Acting US attorney general Todd Blanche told reporters in Florida he expects Raul Castro to "appear in the country by his own will or by another way", without elaborating on how that would occur.
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel described the charges as a "political manoeuvre, devoid of any legal foundation", and said the US "lies and distorts the events surrounding the downing of the planes".
Background And Reactions
Brothers to the Rescue was a Miami based humanitarian group founded by José Basulto to aid Cuban refugees, dropping supplies and alerting the US Coast Guard, the sources report.
On 24 February 1996 three light aircraft from the group entered an area a short distance north of Cuba's capital, and Cuban fighter planes shot down two unarmed Cessna jets, killing all four men aboard.
Fidel Castro later said he issued general orders to stop the flights but did not specifically order the jets to be shot down, and he said Raul Castro, then defence minister, did not give a specific order to fire.
The US condemned the attack and imposed sanctions including suspension of charter flights, while the Justice Department charged three Cuban military officers in 2003 who were never extradited, the sources note.
The International Civil Aviation Organisation concluded the attack occurred over international waters, according to the reporting.
The indictment arrives amid renewed US pressure on Cuba, and President Donald Trump called Cuba a "failing nation" while declining to elaborate on next steps, the coverage states.
Sky News reporting said US measures after the capture of Venezuela's leader, described as an ally of Cuba, have included a blockade that prevented fuel shipments, contributing to severe blackouts and shortages.
