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Congresswoman María Elvira Salazar described this Friday as “promising news” that the U.S. Department of Justice is gathering evidence to potentially charge Cuban communist officials.
In a post on X, she stated that the message directed at Havana is that “the age of impunity is coming to an end.”
In her statement, the Republican representative linked this potential investigation to a broader complaint regarding the transnational scope of the actions of the Cuban regime and argued that the Southern District of Florida should be the jurisdiction where possible charges are pursued.
Salazar's statement is based on a favorable assessment of the efforts of the Department of Justice.
The congresswoman stated that U.S. authorities are "gathering evidence" in anticipation of a possible indictment against Cuban communist officials, although she did not specify names, specific charges, or timelines for a potential formal indictment.
The official presented that possibility as a sign of change in the relationship between the United States and the Cuban government.
"The message to Havana is clear: the era of impunity is coming to an end," he stated, framing the investigation not only as a judicial matter but also as a political warning to the Cuban government.
Salazar also framed that position within a prior political action coordinated with other Republican legislators.
He recalled a joint letter signed with Mario Díaz-Balart, Carlos Giménez, and Nicole Malliotakis, in which they had already warned about the need to take action against those responsible for the Cuban regime.
In her statement, the legislator insisted that, in her opinion, the crimes attributed to the Cuban regime are not limited to the territory of the Island.
"The regime's crimes are not limited to the island," he expressed, before asserting that their "networks reach our shores" and that these structures "are financed through businesses operating here in South Florida."
That is one of the most relevant statements in the text, as it connects the potential federal investigation to activities allegedly linked to the Cuban apparatus on U.S. soil.
Based on that premise, Salazar justified that the South District of Florida is, in his words, "precisely the place where these charges are filed."
The congresswoman concluded her message with a call for accountability.
"The men who have brutalized the Cuban people for decades must finally face justice," he stated, encapsulating the tone of the declaration: support for potential action by the Department of Justice, denunciation of the Cuban regime, and a call for judicial punishment for its leaders or representatives.
The U.S. Department of Justice has formed a task force to examine possible federal charges against officials or entities within the Cuban government, according to The Washington Post, which cites a source familiar with the initiative.
The effort involves the participation of government agencies, including the Department of the Treasury, and is focused on exploring potential crimes related to immigration, economic matters, and other areas.
According to that information, the involvement of the Treasury could suggest that the Donald Trump administration is also considering the possibility of imposing new sanctions against Cuba.
According to the publication, the oversight of the group will fall under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida, which includes Miami, a central hub for the Cuban exile community.
The report suggests that the eventual proceedings against Cuban officials could potentially follow, at least in part, the model used by Washington against Nicolás Maduro's government in Venezuela.
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