Miami's top federal prosecutor, Jason Reding Quiñones, has stepped down from his post, Attorney General Todd Blanche said Friday.
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Blanche → step → post
Quiñones served as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, which oversaw the probe into U.S. President Donald Trump's election conspiracy.
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which → serve → conspiracy
His departure makes him the second senior Justice Department official to leave since the Republicans suffered devastating losses in the midterms.
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Republicans → make → midterms
The office he is leaving has long been considered one of the strongest in the country.
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he → leave → country
It has also been at the center of Trump's attempts to leverage the Justice Department to exact revenge on his political adversaries and shape US foreign policy.
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It → leverage → policy
"We are grateful for Jason's leadership in combating violent crime, drug trafficking, sex trafficking, and transnational crime, including the indictment of Raul Castro," Blanche said on X, referring to the former Cuban president.
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Blanche → combat → president
Earlier this year, Quiñones created a “working group” that includes federal prosecutors and officials from the Drug Enforcement Administration and other agencies, according to one of the people.
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that → create → people
The task force's aim is to try to build cases against people connected to the Cuban government and its Communist Party.
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aim → try → government
The person who described the effort spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss it.
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they → describe → it
It was not immediately clear which Cuban officials the office is targeting.
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office → target → officials
It was also unclear what criminal charges prosecutors may be looking to bring.
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prosecutors → look → charges
The Justice Department said in a statement at the time that “federal prosecutors from across the country work every day to pursue justice, which includes efforts to combat transnational crime.”
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which → say → crime
The effort is taking place against the backdrop of Trump's increasingly aggressive stance against Cuba's communist leadership.
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effort → take → leadership
Trump's posture has been emboldened by the U.S. capture of Cuba's close ally, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
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posture → embolden → ally
In February, the president said his administration was in high-level talks with officials in Havana to pursue “a friendly takeover” of the country.
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administration → say → country
He repeated those claims this week, saying his attention would turn back to Cuba once the war with Iran winds down.
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war → repeat → Iran
Quiñones was sworn in as the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida on August 13, 2025, after Trump nominated him and the United States Senate confirmed him.
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Senate → swear → him
He was the first United States Attorney confirmed during President Trump's second administration.
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He → confirm → administration
Attorney General Pamela Bondi administered the oath of office.
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Bondi → administer → office
Before his appointment as United States Attorney, Reding Quiñones served as a trial judge in Florida's Eleventh Judicial Circuit in Miami.
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Quiñones → serve → Miami
In that role, he presided over civil and criminal domestic violence cases.
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he → preside → cases
His earlier federal service included work as a national security official in the Department of Justice's National Security Division, where he focused on counterterrorism and intelligence matters.
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he → include → matters
He also worked as a federal prosecutor in both the Eastern District of Virginia and the Southern District of Florida, handling and trying civil and criminal cases on behalf of the United States.
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He → work → States
U.S. Attorney Reding Quiñones serves on the Attorney General's Advisory Committee, a select group of United States Attorneys that advises the Attorney General on national law-enforcement policy, public-safety initiatives, and the operation of the nation's U.S. Attorney's Offices.
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that → serve → Offices
He co-chaired the Committee's White Collar, Cyber Fraud, and Cryptocurrency Subcommittee and serves on its Artificial Intelligence Subcommittee.
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co → co → Subcommittee
The White Collar Subcommittee focuses on major financial crimes, including fraud, money laundering, embezzlement, and cyber-enabled schemes that target Americans, particularly vulnerable populations.
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that → focus → Americans
The Aporia
