The Department of Justice of the United States is investigating 145 pro-Cuba nonprofit organizations that report combined annual revenues of approximately 1 billion dollars for allegedly coordinating political activities with officials of the Cuban government without registering as foreign agents.
The investigation, which also involves the Treasury Department, examines whether a Cuban diplomat directed pressure campaigns, messaging, and organization across the United States, possibly in violation of the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), a 1938 regulation that requires transparency from those acting under the direction of a foreign government for political purposes.
One of the elements that attracts the most attention from federal investigators is the speed with which this network reacted following the indictment of Raúl Castro: just nine minutes after Attorney General Todd Blanche announced the charges against the former Cuban leader, a "rapid response network" was already active nationwide to mobilize support for Castro and the Communist Party of Cuba.
That near-instantaneous coordination is regarded by researchers as a possible indicator of foreign direction over the political activities of these groups on U.S. soil.
In addition to the 145 organizations, the investigators are reviewing about 40 American individuals who allegedly collaborated with Cuban officials to transport supplies to Cuba in convoys and flotillas.
Among the most visible pro-Cuba activist groups in the United States is CODEPINK, an organization known for its campaigns against the embargo and for organizing travel delegations to the island, whose members have appeared at airports with signs saying "Cuba my love" and "Down with the blockade."
The investigation comes just days after the Department of Justice declassified, last Tuesday, a superseding indictment against Raúl Castro, 94, and five co-defendants from Cuba before a federal grand jury in the Southern District of Florida.
The charges include conspiracy to kill U.S. nationals, destruction of aircraft, and four counts of homicide for the downing of two civilian planes from the organization Hermanos al Rescate on February 24, 1996, over international waters of the Florida Straits.
The four victims were Carlos Alberto Costa, Armando Alejandre Jr., Mario Manuel de la Peña, and Pablo Morales.
The Embassy of Cuba in Washington rejected the accusations and affirmed that its diplomats act in accordance with Article 41 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.
Fox News Digital, which published the investigation this Saturday, notes that its report is the first installment of a series about allegations that the Cuban government built a network of influence within the United States that federal authorities are now investigating.
If convicted on the most serious charges, Raúl Castro could face the death penalty or life imprisonment, marking the most significant legal action by Washington against the leadership of the Cuban regime in decades.
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