Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has scheduled a press conference for Monday, October 19, 2026, at Florida International University in Miami to address the issuance of a new state arrest warrant against former Cuban leader Raúl Castro. The warrant, signed on Friday, October 16, by Chief Judge Ariana Fajardo Orshan of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit, charges Castro with conspiracy to commit first-degree murder. This state-level action is distinct from federal charges filed by the U.S. Department of Justice on May 20, 2026, which accuse Castro and five other former Cuban military officials of murder, aircraft destruction, and conspiracy to kill American citizens. Both warrants relate to the 1996 shooting down of two Brothers to the Rescue aircraft by Cuban MiG fighters over the Florida Strait, an incident that killed four men, three of whom were U.S. citizens. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement conducted the investigation leading to the state warrant, with court documents alleging that Cuban agents infiltrated Florida to assist in the attack. Castro, now 95, is considered a fugitive from justice in both federal and state jurisdictions. He is currently located in Cuba, where no extradition treaty exists with the United States, making the execution of the warrant impossible under normal circumstances. The only individual currently in U.S. custody related to the case is Luis Raúl González-Pardo Rodríguez, a former Cuban Air Force lieutenant colonel transferred to Miami in June 2026. The press conference at FIU, an institution with a significant Cuban American population, is viewed as a symbolic gesture toward the Cuban exile community. Uthmeier reopened the state investigation in March 2026, asserting that the case had been stalled under the previous administration. Investigators cite an 11-minute audio recording from June 1996, obtained by journalist Wilfredo Cancio, in which Castro allegedly admits to ordering the downing of the planes. The Attorney General has stated that the investigation will leave no detail unexamined, emphasizing the symbolic weight of the legal proceedings in condemning the actions of the Cuban regime. Individuals with information regarding the suspect's location or activities are encouraged to contact the Florida Department of Law Enforcement or local authorities.