A Cuban residing abroad reported this Monday that her mother was assaulted in the early morning on Boyeros Avenue, just outside the José Martí International Airport in Havana, by an organized group of criminals who fired BB guns at her when she attempted to retrieve her stolen luggage.
Amanda Silverio recounted the incident in a video posted on her TikTok account, where she warned her followers: “My mom was robbed while leaving Havana airport on Boyeros Avenue, and I'm telling you this so it doesn't happen to you, so be very careful.”
According to the testimony, Amanda's mother was arriving from Germany when the vehicle transporting her had to stop on that road. At that moment, several individuals stationed at the site banged on the trunk and began to take out her suitcase.
"As in that line of Boyeros, you have to stop by force; that's where they took advantage and hit the trunk," Amanda explained. The victim noticed the theft when the interior light turned on as the compartment opened and began to scream.
The driver stopped the car and got out along with a companion to try to retrieve the luggage, but the assailants responded with pellet gun fire. "When they got out of the car to try to get the suitcase, they started shooting at them with pellet guns. This means it's not just one person; there are several of them ready to attack," Amanda noted.
The Boyeros Avenue, the main route connecting the airport with the city center, has been a recurring scene of this type of attacks since at least 2022. In June 2023, a driver escaped an attempted robbery at the traffic light near CUJAE, on that same avenue, where criminals were hiding among the vegetation to access car trunks. In February 2024, attacks with stones were reported from a bridge on Calle 100 to stop and steal vehicles.
The modus operandi described—several coordinated individuals taking advantage of the mandatory stop and under the cover of early morning darkness—reflects a pattern that has worsened in parallel with the security crisis in Cuba. According to data from the Cuban Conflict Observatory, in 2025 there were 2,833 verified criminal incidents, a 115% increase compared to 2024 and a 337% increase compared to 2023, with thefts being the predominant offense.
Amanda traveled to Cuba with her family to visit her loved ones in Santa Clara. In addition to the assault, she described a bleak situation: widespread blackouts, families cooking with charcoal, exorbitant prices, and long lines to obtain just 10 liters of gasoline. She also recounted that at the airport they offered them the VIP lounge for 25 dollars per person and that to receive a rental car in better condition, they demanded an additional 100 dollars on top of the official price.
Older adults are the most vulnerable group in the face of this wave of crime. According to documented data, out of 700 registered victims, 62 were elderly individuals, and 20% of the members of the National Revolutionary Police have left the force, drastically reducing police coverage across the country.
"Sincerely, right now in Cuba, we are experiencing a nightmare, with assaults, blackouts, people cooking with charcoal, prices that are outrageous, and huge lines just to get ten liters of gasoline," Amanda summed up at the end of her video.
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