In March, the attorney general in Florida announced in a news conference that the state was reopening an investigation into Raúl Castro’s alleged role in the incident.
Florida’s Governor Ron DeSantis praised the possible criminal charges on Friday, calling them “long overdue”.
Cuba has not officially commented on the reports of an indictment, but Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez struck a defiant tone on Friday.
“Despite the [US] embargo, sanctions and threats of the use of force, Cuba continues on a path of sovereignty towards its socialist development,” he said, according to Reuters news agency.
In order for charges to be filed, prosecutors would have to convince a grand jury, made up of members of the public, that probable cause exists to believe a crime has been committed.
Acting US Attorney General Todd Blanche, who leads the US justice department, has declined to confirm reports of an impending indictment.
“If and when there’s a time to talk about about that, we will, obviously,” Blanche told Fox News.
Trump has said the US wants to change Cuba’s communist leadership. He told crowds at a recent rally that the US would be “taking over” the Caribbean island nation, which lies 145km (90 miles) from the US state of Florida.
