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The driver of a tanker truck from the Empresa Láctea de Las Tunas and the representative who accompanied him were detained and charged with the alleged crime of sabotage, reported the Provincial Government of the People's Power of Las Tunas this Wednesday.
The arrest occurred following the detection, last week, of serious irregularities in the cow's milk that both were transporting, a case exposed by a citizen complaint.
A joint operation by the Provincial Inspection Directorate, the Technical Investigative Department (DTI), and economic specialists found that 392 liters of milk intended for children, inspected at warehouse No. 1 of La Loma, had a density of 16.5 g/mL, far below the 30 g/mL required by Cuban standards.
Additionally, 202 liters of surplus without justification were detected in the distribution vehicle, indicating irregular handling of the product.
As an initial sanction, the authorities imposed five fines of 10,000 pesos on those involved in accordance with Decree 30, and the milk was returned to the Dairy Company to undergo a new pasteurization process.
The classification of the case as sabotage —and not merely as corruption or food fraud— has serious legal implications in Cuba.
The Cuban Penal Code (Law No. 151, of 2022) defines sabotage in its article 125, with penalties ranging from seven to 15 years in its basic form, and from ten to 30 years, life imprisonment, or even the death penalty in aggravated cases.
The Opinion 475/2025 of the Government Council of the People's Supreme Court, approved in May 2025, expanded the interpretation of the crime to include actions against public goods and services, even when the perpetrator does not exclusively intend to cause harm, but is aware of the effects of their actions.
The case is not isolated. In Sancti Spíritus, the Río Zaza Dairy Company was subject to an audit for the adulteration of soy yogurt with water and caustic soda, which resulted in the dismissal of 12 workers and three executives and the initiation of a police investigation.
In Matanzas, the delivery of milk to children was interrupted for weeks due to a lack of fuel, and in Camagüey, animal traction was used for the collection of the product.
Cuban citizens reacted with indignation on social media, pointing out that the problem is neither new nor exclusive to Las Tunas. "The operation must be national; milk is being distributed every day throughout the country."
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