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The First Criminal Chamber of the Provincial Popular Tribunal of Las Tunas sentenced a man to 15 years of imprisonment for attempting to steal a horse in Vaquería 22 of the town of Yariguá, in the capital municipality of that province, according to a post made by the tribunal on its social media.
The trial, held as a form of exemplary justice and designated as case number 47 of 2026, was conducted for the crime of theft using violence or intimidation against individuals, related to large cattle.
According to the court, the accused was caught by the animal's owners while attempting to take possession of the horse, at which point he threatened to inflict physical harm on them.
The determining factor for the severity of the sentence was the condition of multiple recidivism of the convicted individual: he had several prior criminal records and, at the time of committing the offense, he was serving a previous sentence under the benefit of home leave.
The court stated that, "taking into account that the defendant is a repeat offender with multiple criminal records and that, precisely at the time of committing this act, he was serving a sentence under the benefit of a home leave permit, he was sentenced to 15 years of imprisonment."
That figure represents the maximum of the range established by the current Cuban Penal Code for this type of crime, which sets a base penalty of seven to 15 years.
In addition to the deprivation of liberty, the court imposed additional penalties: deprivation of public rights and a prohibition on applying for a passport and leaving the national territory during the enforcement of the sentence, in accordance with articles 42.1 and 59 of the Penal Code.
Both the accused and the prosecution have the right to file a cassation appeal before the Supreme People's Court against the ruling.
The case is part of a systematic policy of exemplary trials related to crimes against cattle, driven by the regime amid a severe food crisis.
In 2024, over 1,600 Cubans were sentenced for behaviors associated with the illegal slaughter of livestock and trafficking of its meat, with 90% receiving custodial sentences.
Las Tunas was identified as the province with the highest incidence of cattle theft and slaughter in Cuba up to May 2024, making this condemnation a direct message to those operating in that region.
Sentences for similar offenses have varied significantly depending on the circumstances: a court in Guantánamo imposed a three-year prison sentence for the theft of two horses in April 2025, while another court in the same province imposed sentences of up to 25 years for violent theft against a farmer in June of that year.
In the most extreme case recorded, a man was sentenced to life imprisonment in Cienfuegos in February 2024 for the murder of a farmer in a case related to the theft and slaughter of cattle.
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