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A 20-year-old Cuban immigrant, identified as Hugo Alberto Formes Romero, was sentenced to eight and a half years in prison in Russia after being found guilty of attempting to illegally distribute drugs as part of an organized network, according to the Volgograd regional prosecutor's office.
The Traktorozavodsky District Court found Formes guilty of committing a crime classified as attempted illegal sale of narcotics “in significant quantities,” through information and telecommunications networks (including the Internet), within an organized group, stated a statement from the Prosecutor's Office.
On September 23, 2025, just four days after arriving in Russian territory on a tourist visa, Formes was arrested by the police showing signs of intoxication and taken to a police station, where he refused to undergo a toxicology test.
His case was referred to the Traktorozavodsky District Court. At the hearing, the young man, who was 19 at the time, pleaded not guilty, stated that he was very tired at the time of his arrest, had not used drugs, and had only been in Russia for four days.
The court determined that Formes violated legal requirements by refusing to take a drug test by the police and ordered his arrest for 24 hours at a temporary detention center and his expulsion from the country for the consumption of narcotic or psychotropic substances without a prescription, specified the Unified Press Service of the courts in the Russian jurisdiction.
But the investigation linked the young Cuban to a drug trafficking network. According to the official statement from the Prosecutor's Office, it was established during the trial that the accused arrived in Russia with the aim of engaging in illicit drug trafficking activities as part of an organized group.
The authorities detailed that, following instructions from his contact, Formes attempted to illegally sell a stash containing 0.946 grams of mephedrone (4-methylmethcathinone) by setting up a hiding place on Zholudeva Street in the Traktorozavodsky district of Volgograd.
However, the sale of the drug was thwarted by law enforcement.
Formes must serve his sentence in a maximum-security penal colony. At the request of the prosecution, the court confiscated the accused's mobile phone, which was used in the crime, for the benefit of the State.
The ruling has not yet come into effect and can be appealed by the parties involved.
A representative from the Prosecutor's Office told the news portal V1.RU that “criminals intentionally fly to Volgograd to engage in drug trafficking,” as they “apparently find information about incoming shipments through messaging apps and arrive with that purpose in mind.”
"It is important to understand that if a person consciously assumes a risk, the law establishes responsibilities. Even a small amount, when combined with other indicators, already constitutes a serious crime," he warned.
Also, in September 2025, a 41-year-old Cuban citizen was arrested in Volgograd for alleged large-scale drug trafficking. According to the police, the individual had traveled from Cuba with the intention of distributing narcotics under the guise of tourism.
During a police operation, officers seized 29 packages containing N-methylfedrone, a synthetic drug, in the possession of the suspect and in hiding places he had prepared.
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