DOJ indicts former Cuban President Raul Castro

(CNN, KYMA) - Federal prosecutors unsealed criminal charges against former Cuban President Raul Castro tied to the 1996 shootdown of two civilian aircraft Wednesday.

Castro, Cuba's defense minister at the time, is charged with conspiracy to kill U.S. nationals, murder and destruction of an aircraft.

The attack killed four men, including three Americans, when Cuban fighter jets shot down planes operated by the exile group brothers to the rescue.

Castro is now 94-years-old and one of the last surviving leaders of the Cuban Revolution.

The indictment is expected to further inflame tensions between the U.S. and Cuba as the Trump Administration ramps up pressure on Havana.