Former Cuban President Raúl Castro has been indicted in the United States in an escalation of the Trump administration’s pressure campaign against Cuba’s communist government.

•⁠ ⁠The move comes as President Trump continues pushing for regime change in Cuba and increasing pressure on Havana.

•⁠ ⁠Castro, 94, served as Cuba’s defense minister before becoming president in 2008 after Fidel Castro stepped down. He left office in 2018 but remains a powerful figure in Cuban politics.

•⁠ ⁠The case marks a rare instance of the U.S. pursuing criminal charges against a foreign leader and follows previous action taken against former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro