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A Cuban native of Jagüey Grande, Matanzas, was tried this Wednesday for drug trafficking and could face seven years in prison if the judges rule in favor of the Prosecutor's request when they deliver the sentence next October.
The accused, whose identity has not been revealed, faced an oral and public trial in the First Criminal Chamber of the Provincial Court of Matanzas, pertaining to case 1-104 of 2025 for a drug-related offense, and “acknowledged his responsibility” in the events, reported the official newspaper .
According to the prosecution's accusation, the man from Matanzas, who had no criminal record, was engaged in the buying and selling of narcotics, including synthetic cannabinoids commonly known as "chemical" or "paper," which he obtained through a man who regularly traveled to Havana and acquired quantities of such substances in that province.
The accused purchased each dose at a price of 150 pesos and then sold them for 200, in the locations of Torriente and Jagüey. The newspaper detailed that “to achieve his goal, he usually loitered around areas near the park adjacent to the ServiCupet in Jagüey Grande,” where he offered the drugs to young people and others passing by.
When the police arrested him on March 22, he was in possession of "0.25 grams of plant material containing the synthetic cannabinoid MDMB-4en-PINACA, contained in various paper and nylon wrappers and in a HUpman Selecto cigar box, as well as 104 wrappers with 0.06 g of paper fragments that were infused with 5-Fluor ADB."
During the search of his residence, the officers found 53 packets containing 0.03 grams of small pieces of paper, also with 5-Fluor ADB.
The newspaper Girón highlighted that the acts attributed to the accused constitute offenses related to illicit drugs or substances with similar effects, as provided and penalized in Article 235. 1a) of the Penal Code of Cuba, which the individual admitted both during the investigation and at the trial.
The prosecution requested a seven-year prison sentence, in accordance with Article 34 of the Penal Code, in addition to the accessory measures of deprivation of rights and prohibition from leaving the national territory.
The judges will announce the sentence on October 16th.
According to the statement, "the trial was conducted with respect for all constitutional and citizen guarantees," and it "highlighted the country's policy of zero tolerance for drugs."
The trafficking and consumption of synthetic drugs in Cuba has risen to unprecedented levels.
Although the regime has tightened the criminal penalties and imposed exemplary sentences on those who possess or distribute these highly toxic substances, both the sale and consumption continue to grow, highlighting that the government strategy is insufficient.
The MININT revealed this week that the anti-drug operations have led to the arrest of more than 1,500 people, many of whom are in pretrial detention. Additionally, 81 kg of narcotics, 11,000 plants, 23,000 seeds, five firearms, and traffickers' assets were seized, and five criminal networks operating from the José Martí International Airport in Havana were dismantled.
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