The Cuban authorities dismantled a new illegal crop of marijuana in the municipality of Tercer Frente in the province of Santiago de Cuba, as part of the national offensive against drug trafficking initiated by the regime in recent months.
According to reported by the official pro-government Facebook page El Cubano Fiel, the plantation was located in the Peña Blanca area thanks to several complaints made by neighbors, who reported the presence of unusual plants that, while resembling cassava, were clearly different.
After reviewing the report, members of the National Revolutionary Police (PNR) found more than 400 marijuana plants, some of which were nearly two meters tall.
The official statement indicated that those responsible for the cultivation were detained, although it did not specify the number of those involved nor their identities.
This new finding comes just weeks after other significant anti-drug operations carried out in the same province, which have uncovered an alarming proliferation of clandestine crops, both in mountainous areas and in private homes.
A series of recent findings
At the end of May, more than 3,000 marijuana plants were seized in the locality of La Tabla, also in the Tercer Frente municipality, during a coordinated operation between the PNR and the Forest Guard Corps.
On that occasion, in addition to the already developed plants, thousands of seeds ready for planting were found. The operation was made possible, once again, thanks to community reports.
"They believed they were small farmers, but they used the land for purposes that seriously harm society," authorities stated through the Héroes del Moncada profile, affiliated with the Ministry of the Interior (MININT).
Shortly afterward, in the town of Salvador Rosales, in the municipality of Songo-La Maya, a young man was captured while in the midst of counting marijuana seeds from a plantation that exceeded 2,000 plants.
In this case, several individuals were prosecuted for participating in various stages of cultivation, distribution, and trafficking of the drug.
In June, two additional cases were reported in Santiago de Cuba. The first occurred in La Risueñita, in Micro 9, where a man identified as Yordani was arrested for growing marijuana in his own backyard, tending to the plants as if they were part of an ornamental garden.
The second case was even more shocking: in the town of Sigua, an individual known as "Pepe" was arrested after over 19,000 marijuana seeds and 950 growing plants were found in his home.
In both incidents, the cooperation of the neighbors was crucial for the police action.
Exemplary trials and severe punishments
The increase in the detection of illegal crops has been accompanied by trials resulting in harsh sentences.
At the end of June, in Ciego de Ávila, a man was sentenced to 20 years in prison for cultivating marijuana.
The trial, which was public, included a three-year prison sentence for another individual for failing to report the illegal activity, despite being aware of it.
Additionally, the accused were stripped of their citizenship rights, including a prohibition on leaving the country and the confiscation of the means used.
These judicial processes are part of the so-called "third national exercise" against crimes and illegal activities, a government campaign aimed at projecting a message of "zero tolerance" towards drug trafficking, although analysts warn that it also serves as a tool for social control.
An expanding phenomenon
While drug consumption has traditionally been more visible in Havana, recent operations reveal that illegal activities associated with narcotics have also taken root in rural and peripheral areas of the country.
The situation is exacerbated by the economic crisis facing Cuba, characterized by inflation, the deterioration of services, and the lack of real opportunities for a dignified livelihood.
The distribution of marijuana and other prohibited substances, often facilitated through social media and informal contacts, particularly affects young people, who become both consumers and links in the trafficking chain.
The regime continues to present these cases as successes of a national campaign against drugs.
The forces of MININT emphasize the role of citizens who are "aware of the harm that drug consumption causes to Cuban families" in the success of the operations, according to official statements.
Filed under:
