The top federal prosecutor in Miami ordered a broad inquiry into Cuba's leaders and Communist Party officials this week, aiming to build criminal cases that could lead to indictments. U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones, a Trump appointee, assembled a working group including officials from the Treasury Department, FBI, DEA, State Department, and other agencies to investigate potential drug trafficking, immigration violations, sanctions breaches, and violent crimes.

The effort comes as President Donald Trump ramps up pressure on Havana, predicting the communist regime's collapse. In comments Thursday at the White House and Friday to CNN, Trump said, "Cuba is gonna fall pretty soon" and suggested sending Secretary of State Marco Rubio to negotiate, adding, "We've got plenty of time, but Cuba's ready -- after 50 years." He has floated the idea of a "friendly takeover" and indicated Cuba could be next after ongoing operations in Iran.

Cuba's economy teeters on the brink following the U.S. capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro in January on narcoterrorism charges. The administration imposed a de facto oil embargo by threatening tariffs on suppliers, prompting Mexico to halt shipments after Venezuela ceased exports. Prosecutors see parallels to Maduro's case, where indictments provided legal cover for his ouster and extradition to a Brooklyn jail.

Cuban-American lawmakers fueled the push. In February, Republican Representatives María Elvira Salazar, Mario Díaz-Balart, Carlos Giménez, and Nicole Malliotakis urged Attorney General Pam Bondi to indict former Cuban President Raúl Castro, 94, for ordering the 1996 shootdown of two Brothers to the Rescue planes over international waters, killing three Americans and a U.S. resident. Salazar hailed the DOJ group on X, stating, "The era of impunity is ending."

No specific targets beyond Castro have been named publicly, and the U.S. Attorney's Office declined comment. A Justice Department spokesman said federal prosecutors routinely combat transnational crime.

Legal experts note challenges in prosecuting foreign leaders, including immunity claims under international law. Still, arrest warrants could enable action similar to Venezuela, one former prosecutor said. The administration also seeks Cuban insiders for a potential regime change deal by year's end.

Quiñones, confirmed last August, oversees other high-profile probes, including Trump's claims of a Democratic conspiracy. The developments signal a sharpening U.S. focus on Cuba after decades of tensions.