NEW YORK, May 16. /TASS/. The United States does not rule out capturing one of the leaders of the Cuban Revolution, Army General Raul Castro, The New York Times quoted sources as saying.

The New York Times said that in January Washington used federal charges against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro as a pretext to invade and capture him. Earlier, American media reported that the United States was preparing to charge 94-year-old Castro with a 1996 shooting down of two planes of the Miami-based emigrant organization Brothers to the Rescue.

According to The New York Times, American officials admit that the United States will enact a Venezuelan scenario in Cuba. The final decision has not yet been made, the newspaper notes. Several sources believe that this course of action will not be approved, but the very threat of a possible capture of Castro could allegedly convince the Cuban authorities to concede to Washington.

On Thursday, Central Intelligence Agency Director John Ratcliffe visited Cuba to meet with Raul Guillermo Rodriguez Castro, the grandson of Raul Castro. According to the sources of the Axios portal, Ratcliffe delivered the message of US President Donald Trump said that the United States is ready for serious cooperation on economic and security issues, if Cuba undergoes fundamental changes.