Donald Trump has played down fears of escalating tensions with Cuba after the US Justice Department indicted former Cuban President Raul Castro in the 1996 downing of a civilian airliner, insisting there will be “no more escalation” between the two countries.Asked whether impeachment could escalate the conflict, Trump responded: “No. It won’t escalate. I don’t think it needs to. Look, the place is falling apart. It’s a mess, and he’s kind of lost control.”The comments came as federal court records showed Castro, 94, has been charged in the US with murder and related crimes in the downing of two civilian airliners operated by the Cuban exile group Brothers to the Rescue nearly three decades ago.The indictment was filed April 23 in Miami federal court and unsealed this week. In this, Castro has been charged with one count of conspiracy to murder American citizens, four counts of murder and two counts of destroying the plane. Five other persons have also been named as defendants.Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche announced the charges at an event in Miami, where officials gathered to honor the victims of the 1996 incident. “My message today is clear: the United States and President Trump will not and will not forget their citizens,” he said, drawing applause from the Cuban-American attendees.The case centers on the downing of two small planes on February 24, 1996, when Cuban MiG fighters intercepted and destroyed planes flown by Brothers to the Rescue, a Miami-based exile organization that was flying missions over the Caribbean Sea to detect Cuban migrants attempting the dangerous crossing.All four people on board the boat died. The victims were Armando Alejandre, Carlos Alberto Costa, Mario Manuel de la Peña and Pablo Morales.The Cuban government has long maintained that the planes entered its airspace illegally, while the U.S. investigation and international aviation findings concluded that the planes were in international airspace when they were destroyed.Former Cuban leader Fidel Castro had previously said that the military acted under “standing orders” to intercept the plane, but insisted that Raul Castro, who was defense minister at the time, had not given any direct orders.Raul Castro was born in 1931 and, along with his brother Fidel, played a central role in Cuba’s communist revolution and helped consolidate power after the overthrow of Fulgencio Batista in 1959. He served as Defense Minister for decades, later becoming President in 2008 before leaving the post in 2018. He officially left the leadership of the Communist Party in 2021 but is still seen as an influential figure in Cuban politics.The indictment comes amid increased US pressure on Havana under the Trump administration, including sanctions and diplomatic pressure, calling Cuba a “rogue state”.Trump has also designed US policy towards Cuba to increase influence in the Western Hemisphere, stating: “From the shores of Havana to the shores of the Panama Canal, we will drive out the forces of lawlessness and crime and foreign usurpation.”Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel has rejected the US allegations, previously warning that any military action could lead to “bloodshed”.Tensions have been further complicated by Cuba’s worsening economic crisis, with fuel shortages, blackouts, and food shortages contributing to unrest on the island. Washington has increased sanctions on countries supplying fuel to Cuba, deepening economic tensions.