Cuban authorities dismantled a synthetic drug trafficking network, seized one million doses of the narcotic known as “chemical” and arrested 24 people.
The section head of the Specialized Criminal Investigation Body of the Ministry of the Interior (Minint), Arnaldo Ramos, He told national television that the criminal network was organized from Florida (USA) and that it used Cuban residents on the island to prepare, distribute and market this substance.
The “chemical” is a highly addictive synthetic cannabinoid, cheaper and more powerful than marijuana. Its consumption has spread in recent years in Cuba, especially among young people, as the authorities have recognized in recent months.
Ramos maintained that the narcotics, molded into a cream, entered the country through “illegal air freight” in containers of yogurt, gelatin, food supplements and medications.
According to Ramos, those involved intended to introduce the merchandise into the municipalities of San Miguel del Padrón, Regla and Diez de Octubre.”
“In cases like these, the Cuban authorities have timely informed the United States Government about people in that country who try to promote international drug trafficking on Cuban soil; however, the cases remain unanswered,” he added.
Meanwhile, the section head of the Minint Specialized Anti-Drug Body, Yoan Saporta, declared to that medium that the 24 detainees are being prosecuted for crimes related to drug trafficking as a result of an operation carried out “during 2025.”
In addition to the drugs, authorities seized syringes, gloves, trays, masks and acetone, the latter used to manufacture the “chemical,” Saporta added. They also confiscated houses, means of transportation and 11 million Cuban pesos ($91,600 at the official exchange rate for individuals, but $25,000 in the informal market).
At the beginning of December, Senior officials of the Minint and the Ministry of Justice rejected any link between Cuba and drug trafficking and they reiterated that “it is not a drug producing or transit country.” They also ratified the “zero tolerance policy” of the island government.
The Cuban Government denies any link with drug trafficking and targets the United States
They were thus responding to the growing pressure from the United States in the Caribbean, where Washington has established a strong military presence with the argument of fighting against drug trafficking and with the focus mainly on the Government of the Venezuelan president, Nicolás Maduro, whom it accuses of leading a cartel.
In Cuba, drug trafficking is defined and addressed mainly as a matter of public order. State media have reported several “exemplary trials” related to drug trafficking, with at least a 15-year prison sentence for possession and sale of small quantities of drugs.
The Penal Code punishes “possession and trafficking of illicit drugs with penalties ranging from 4 to 30 years in prison, life imprisonment and even the death sentence.”
OnCuba/EFE.
