The General Customs of the Republic of Cuba (AGR) has recorded a sustained escalation in attempts to smuggle national products—tobacco, wildlife, protected marine species, and drugs—primarily through the José Martí International Airport in Havana, in a pattern that reflects both the increasing sophistication of illicit networks and the desperation of a population pushed to the brink by the worst economic crisis in three decades.
The most recent case occurred last Friday: customs detected and seized 1,948 cigars distributed among four pieces of luggage from four passengers heading to the United States. A report was filed with the police.
This episode is not an isolated incident. In September 2025, customs authorities intercepted more than 7,300 loose cigars and 64 boxes without invoices at the same airport in Havana, highlighting that the illicit trafficking of cigars has been on the rise for months.
The sophistication of the networks is evident in the methods used. In February 2026, agents seized over 4,000 hidden authorizations of Cuban tobacco brands, while days later, customs thwarted an attempt to smuggle more than 3,800 cigars to Panama.
The counterfeiting of premium brands is also part of the pattern. In March, the authorities detected more than 370 boxes of counterfeit cigars, and in a separate operation, they seized over 4,400 counterfeit seals of the Cohiba brand, one of the most recognized and sought-after cigars internationally.
Smuggling is not limited to tobacco. In one of the most disturbing cases of the period, a passenger was detained with 28 live birds hidden in tubes attached to their body, a method of wildlife trafficking that endangers Cuban biodiversity and violates international animal protection agreements.
The trafficking of protected marine species is also among the priorities of traffickers. A couple was arrested at the Frank País International Airport in Holguín while attempting to smuggle out of the country 121 kilograms of meat from protected marine species, a volume that suggests organized networks rather than individual initiatives.
Drug trafficking completes the picture of an air border under increasing pressure. According to available records, at least six frustrated drug trafficking operations have been documented so far in 2026, with methods including double compartments in suitcases and concealment within the passengers' bodies.
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