Masked individuals armed with weapons rob a cooperative in Matanzas and steal cattle; four suspects arrested

The police captured four of the suspects involved in a violent robbery at an agricultural cooperative in the municipality of Colón, Matanzas, where seven masked men broke in and, after firing shots into the air, stole nine cattle.

The events took place at the Agricultural Production Cooperative (CPA) José María Duarte, in the locality of San José de los Ramos, according to the Facebook profile “With Everyone, Victory”, linked to the Ministry of the Interior (Minint). The source did not specify the date on which the incident occurred.

According to the publication, the seven individuals, with their faces covered and mounted on horseback, entered the premises of the entity firing shots into the air to intimidate and took away nine cattle from a small pen, which they later slaughtered in a cane field about a kilometer from the site.

According to the official account of the case, the investigative work conducted by the authorities resulted in operations during which four of the alleged perpetrators were arrested, identified only by their names: Lesdany, Guillermo, Yordan, and Héctor.

The report added that two of them—without specifying which—have a history of participating in another similar robbery, "also on horseback, also with threats," at the Progreso farm. On that occasion, they took three cattle after throwing stones and locking the owner in his own house.

The profile "With Everyone for Victory" noted that the investigation into the robbery at the San José de los Ramos cooperative is still ongoing and stated that those arrested will be prosecuted for their actions.

In the customary triumphant tone of the official speech, the announcement described the arrest as a “significant blow against crime in the area” and a “checkmate to impunity.”

However, there are repeated reports of similar cases, some even with fatal outcomes, which highlight the lack of security in the rural areas of the country and the ineffective actions of the authorities to curb the rise of crime.

The theft and illegal slaughter of cattle in the fields of Cuba has increased as the economic crisis worsens and due to the police's inability to ensure order and tranquility.

Farmers insist that this type of crime remains out of control, which not only affects their property but also impacts agricultural economics and food security.