Customs agents in Cuba detected methamphetamine hidden inside a package of rice in a passenger's suitcase at José Martí International Airport in Havana, thwarting another attempt to smuggle drugs into the country, according to official reports.
The First Deputy Chief of the General Customs of the Republic (AGR), Wiliam Pérez González, announced the discovery in a post on his account on social network X, where he emphasized that the case required "high professionalism, cohesion, and integration of work" from that institution and the anti-drug agency.
The official shared photos of an opened package of rice —apparently from the Mexican brand Verde Valle, in its 140-gram precooked rice with tomato flavor— alongside a chemical test plate with a positive reaction that confirms the presence of the substance.
The authorities did not specify the exact amount of methamphetamine seized nor its origin, although the brand on the rice packaging — bearing a warning seal from Mexico’s Ministry of Health — could suggest a route originating or stopping in that country. The identity and nationality of the passenger involved were also not disclosed.
In a comment on the post, Amaury Pila, head of the Risk Management and Customs Enforcement Department of the AGR, considered the case as one of the "novel ways to attempt to introduce drugs into Cuba" and highlighted the "capability created" by Customs and the Anti-Drug Agency to detect them at the border.
This finding adds to a series of drug operations carried out at Havana airport in recent months, which have thwarted multiple attempts to traffic narcotics using increasingly elaborate concealment methods.
In late March, authorities thwarted an attempt to smuggle drugs hidden in a double-bottom suitcase. The deputy chief of Customs reported that this was the sixth drug trafficking operation detected this year, highlighting the ongoing efforts to introduce or export illegal substances through Cuba's main airport terminal.
In different cases recorded in February, customs officials discovered methamphetamine hidden in an electric coffee maker and baseballs, and cocaine concealed in jars and a bottle of rum in the luggage of two passengers who arrived on the same flight.
In January, authorities seized marijuana hidden in cereal boxes and instant drinks. The use of food packaging to conceal illicit substances has become a recurring tactic among those trying to evade customs controls on the island.
According to official government data, in 2025, 31 air trafficking operations were frustrated with 27 kilograms seized from 11 countries, with the United States being the main source. Between 2024 and 2025, authorities blocked more than 75 operations with over 100 kilograms confiscated.
Filed under: