The Trump administration is apparently not done collecting supervillain trading cards. According to three sources familiar with the matter who spoke to the Associated Press - and later reported by The Independent - the Justice Department is preparing to seek a criminal indictment against former Cuban President Raúl Castro.
Yes, that Raúl Castro. The 93-year-old brother of Fidel, who stepped down from Cuba's presidency back in 2018 and from his Communist Party leadership role in 2021. The man has more retirement years under his belt than most people have careers, and yet here we are.
Maximum pressure, maximum drama
The reported move fits squarely within the Trump administration's broader strategy of ratcheting up pressure on Cuba, a policy approach that has historically involved tightening economic sanctions, restricting travel, and generally making life as diplomatically uncomfortable as possible for Havana.
This would not be an isolated legal maneuver either. The administration has already gone after Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on drug trafficking charges - a move that rattled the Western Hemisphere's authoritarian circles considerably. Targeting Castro would signal that Washington is willing to escalate those legal strategies even further, potentially setting a precedent for pursuing sitting or former heads of state in adversarial nations.
What we actually know vs. what we don't
It is worth being precise here: as of the AP's reporting, this is a preparation to seek an indictment - not a filed indictment, not a conviction, and definitely not an arrest (good luck with that last one). The specific charges have not been publicly confirmed. The three sources cited by the AP are described only as people familiar with the matter, meaning no official government confirmation has been issued.
Cuba, predictably, is not exactly a country that hands over its former leaders on request. So while the legal symbolism of such a move would be enormous, the practical enforcement is - to put it gently - a logistical fantasy.
The bigger picture
What the move does accomplish, even on paper, is political messaging of the loudest variety. The Trump administration has a well-documented appetite for aggressive posturing toward left-wing Latin American governments, and indicting a Castro - any Castro - plays exceptionally well with the Cuban-American community in Florida, a key electoral constituency.
Whether this becomes an actual indictment, a diplomatic chess piece, or just an extremely bold press release dressed up in legal clothing remains to be seen. But one thing is clear: nobody in this administration is interested in doing anything quietly.
