Luis Raúl González-Pardo Rodríguez, a Cuban pilot linked to the 1996 killing of four U.S. citizens, has been granted entry into the United States through the Biden administration’s “humanitarian parole” program. González-Pardo Rodríguez, who was involved in the Cuban Air Force’s attack on the anti-communist group Brothers to the Rescue, now resides in Jacksonville, Florida, with his daughter. His wife remains in Cuba, awaiting her visa approval, according to reports.

The Brothers to the Rescue organization was a Miami-based charity that conducted humanitarian missions to rescue Cuban refugees stranded at sea during the 1990s. On February 26, 1996, Cuban forces, under the direction of the Castro regime, shot down two of the organization’s planes over international waters, killing four U.S. citizens: Carlos Costa, Armando Alejandre, Mario de la Peña, and Pablo Morales. A third plane narrowly escaped the Cuban jets.

Orestes Lorenzo, a fellow Cuban pilot who fled the Castro regime, stated that González-Pardo Rodríguez participated in the chase of the third plane piloted by Brothers to the Rescue founder José Basulto. According to Lorenzo, the Cuban pilot confirmed his involvement in the operation during a recent conversation, though he did not fire the fatal shots. Lorenzo expressed disappointment upon learning about his former friend’s role in the attack, calling him a “murderer” for following orders to shoot unarmed humanitarian planes.

The arrival of González-Pardo Rodríguez has sparked outrage, particularly from survivors of the Brothers to the Rescue attack and families of the victims. Arnaldo Iglesias, who was on the humanitarian mission with Basulto and survived the attack, voiced frustration, stating, “It is unacceptable that someone involved in such a heinous act is now living freely in the U.S.” He also criticized the “impunity” with which individuals like González-Pardo Rodríguez are entering the country under current immigration policies.

The Biden administration’s “humanitarian parole” program, implemented in January 2023, allows up to 30,000 individuals from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela to enter the U.S. each month, permitting them to live and work legally for up to two years. The program aims to assist those fleeing authoritarian regimes or violence, but critics argue that it is being misused to allow human rights violators and former communist officials into the country. The program was briefly suspended due to fraud concerns but was reinstated soon after.

González-Pardo Rodríguez’s involvement in the 1996 shootdown was first reported by Periódico Cubano, and he reportedly entered the U.S. in April 2024. Although he denies many of the accusations against him, González-Pardo Rodríguez has yet to provide a full explanation of his actions. Survivors and families of the victims have called on U.S. authorities, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, for accountability and answers regarding his entry into the country.