Related videos:
A man with a criminal record for theft was arrested in Unión de Reyes, province of Matanzas, following a police operation in which authorities seized a .38 caliber handgun with six rounds, according to a report from the state media TV Yumurí this Wednesday.
The case is part of a series of operations conducted during May and June in the municipality, the results of which were presented by Major Yasiel Prado Valdés, delegate of the Ministry of the Interior (MININT) in Unión de Reyes.
The detained individual had a history of offenses related to burglary and violent theft, primarily operating in the Juan Gualberto Gómez Popular Council, an area that authorities monitor closely due to a concentration of criminal activities.
"According to the investigations, the individual was involved in crimes against livestock and threatened property owners in the area," said Prado Valdés.
In the same operation, authorities arrested a second individual connected to theft and illegal cattle slaughter, a crime that the regime has identified as one of its top priorities due to the harm it causes to the agricultural sector.
This problem has national dimensions: according to data from MININT cited by official media, more than 9,000 people were involved in crimes related to large livestock in 2024, and Cuba has lost more than 900,000 head of cattle since 2019.
The operations also helped resolve a violent robbery that took place in the same Popular Council: two residents of the area attacked a person upon their arrival at home, inflicting injuries with a knife—including wounds to the neck—with the intent to steal money.
Both attackers were identified, confessed to their involvement, and were arrested within 24 hours of the incident.
The illegal possession of a firearm, such as the one seized, is punishable in Cuba with a prison sentence ranging from three to eight years, according to the current Penal Code, when it concerns a weapon for which no license is granted to individuals.
Matanzas is the province with the highest crime rate in the country.
According to the Cuban Observatory of Citizen Auditing (OCAC), Matanzas topped the national crime ranking in 2025 with 503 verified cases, ahead of Granma, Havana, and Santiago de Cuba.
At the national level, the OCAC documented 2,833 crimes in 2025, an increase of 115% compared to 2024 and 337% compared to 2023, with theft being the predominant crime in 1,536 recorded cases.
Prado Valdés emphasized that "the coordinated effort between law enforcement and the collaboration of the population are essential for continuing to confront criminal behavior and ensuring the protection of individuals and their property in the territory."
Filed under: