The US nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Nimitz, escorted by warships, has entered the Caribbean Sea, the US military’s Southern Command said after it emerged on Wednesday that Washington had brought charges against former Cuban leader Raul Castro and five others.
“Welcome to the Caribbean Sea, Carrier Strike Group Nimitz!”, the US command said in a post on the social network X. The publication is accompanied by a video clip demonstrating the ship’s capabilities. The United States accuses 94-year-old former Cuban leader and its informal leader Raul Castro of conspiring to kill four people, including three American citizens, the U.S. Justice Department said. The case stems from events in 1996, when the Cuban air force shot down two civilian planes of the human rights organisation Brothers to the Rescue. The group was founded by Cuban immigrants who used aircraft to search for Cubans fleeing the country by sea.
US President Donald Trump called the indictment of Castro and several Cuban military officials a “very important moment” and, despite the aircraft carrier deployment, ruled out military escalation against Cuba.
“There will be no escalation. I don’t think it’s necessary. Look, the country is falling apart. It’s a complete mess and they seem to have lost control,” the White House chief said in a call with reporters on Wednesday.
Reuters called the US authorities’ prosecution of Raul Castro “a major escalation of Washington’s pressure campaign against the island’s communist government.” Since Trump’s return to the White House, relations between Washington and Havana have escalated sharply.
In early 2026, Washington imposed an oil embargo on Cuba. As a result, the country is facing its worst economic crisis in decades. It is accompanied by widespread energy shortages; blackouts lasting several hours occur regularly. In addition to fuel shortages, Cubans are experiencing shortages of food and many other basic necessities.
Washington has also said it is seeking the removal of Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel from power.
Raul Castro was one of the leaders of the 1959 Cuban Revolution and held key positions in the country’s leadership for decades. After the illness of his older brother Fidel Raul Castro, he became the de facto and then official head of Cuba. Raul Castro stepped down as head of state in 2018.