Trump’s Justice Department forms group to target Cuban officials, and the charges they’re exploring could reshape U.S. policy
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The Justice Department has formed a specialized working group to investigate potential federal charges against officials and entities tied to Cuba’s government. As reported by The Washington Post, the group is examining possible criminal cases that could target members of the Cuban regime.
The effort comes as President Donald Trump escalates public pressure on Cuba’s leadership. Trump has said it is only “a question of time” before the Cuban government falls, making the island a central focus of his recent foreign policy messaging.
Speaking at the White House to an audience that included South Florida Republicans of Cuban descent, Trump suggested the administration plans to turn its attention to Cuba after other conflicts. He said the United States wants to “finish this one first,” referring to the ongoing attack on Iran, and added that Cuba “is going to fall very soon.”
The move signals an aggressive legal strategy against Cuba
The newly formed working group includes Justice Department officials and representatives from other agencies, including the Treasury Department. Treasury’s involvement suggests the administration may also be considering additional sanctions alongside criminal prosecutions, amid Treasury debate over Russian oil.
Investigators are reportedly reviewing possible charges across several areas of federal law, including immigration and economic crimes. Federal prosecutors in Florida are playing a major role, with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida overseeing the group.
That office is led by U.S. Attorney Jason Reding Quiñones and has long handled cases tied to the Cuban government. Miami’s role as a hub for the Cuban exile community has historically placed the district at the center of federal investigations involving the island.
Officials familiar with the effort say the strategy mirrors a previous Justice Department approach used against Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. Prosecutors indicted Maduro in 2020, and although he was not immediately extradited, U.S. forces later captured him after a January attack on Venezuela and brought him to New York to face charges.
Recent political pressure has also pushed the department toward possible new action tied to older incidents. Last month, several Republican lawmakers from Florida urged Attorney General Pam Bondi to reopen an investigation into the 1996 shootdown of two unarmed civilian planes operated by Brothers to the Rescue, which killed four people.
Federal officials have also faced pressure after a recent shooting involving a Florida-registered speedboat near Cuba. Cuban soldiers opened fire on the vessel as it approached the island, killing four armed passengers, including a U.S. citizen, and wounding six others, while federal immigration scrutiny has also widened with the detention of an immigration journalist.
Reding Quiñones said the facts surrounding that incident remain unclear and conflicting. He also pledged that investigators would conduct a thorough review.
Published: Mar 7, 2026 01:45 pm