Raul Castro indicted in the US

Former Cuban President Raul Castro has been indicted in the United States, a senior Trump administration official confirmed Wednesday.

The charges mark a sharp escalation in Washington’s pressure campaign against Cuba’s communist government.

Raul Castro, 94, served as defense minister before assuming the presidency in 2008 after his brother Fidel fell ill. He stepped down in 2018 but remains a powerful figure in Cuban politics.

The indictment fits President Trump’s broader push for regime change on the island, where the Castros have ruled since the 1959 revolution. Trump has stated Cuba “is next” after the United States indicted and captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on similar charges.

The U.S. has effectively blockaded Cuba by threatening sanctions on countries supplying it with fuel. This has triggered widespread power outages and deepened the island’s worst crisis in decades.

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez responded defiantly. “Despite the (U.S.) embargo, sanctions and threats of the use of force, Cuba continues on a path of sovereignty towards its socialist development,” he said.