Cuban pilot charged with downing planes sentenced for lying on immigration form

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Luis Raul Gonzalez-Pardo Rodriguez, a Cuban national, was sentenced to seven months in Jacksonville for lying on an immigration form. Following his current sentence, Gonzalez-Pardo Rodriguez will face new federal charges in Miami for allegedly conspiring to kill U.S. nationals in connection with the 1996 shootdown of two civilian aircraft near Cuba.

Gonzalez-Pardo Rodriguez received credit for over six months of time already served, meaning he will serve approximately ten remaining days in federal custody in Jacksonville. He lied about his past service in the Cuban Air Force on his immigration form. This military service is now central to a federal indictment filed in April, which accuses him of conspiracy to kill U.S. nationals.

The federal indictment charges Gonzalez-Pardo Rodriguez as one of five people, including former Cuban President Raul Castro, implicated in the 1996 incident. The indictment states that two civilian planes, operated by the organization Brothers to the Rescue, were shot down, killing four U.S. citizens. Gonzalez-Pardo Rodriguez is not accused of directly shooting down the planes, but the indictment alleges he participated in the military response that day and pursued a third aircraft flown by Brothers to the Rescue members. During the sentencing, the federal judge noted that Gonzalez-Pardo Rodriguez would likely be immediately arrested for the new charges. The judge commented that Gonzalez-Pardo Rodriguez “has bigger fish to fry” moving forward.