Two people were arrested and another two managed to escape following an attempt to steal dielectric oil at an electrical substation in Santiago de Cuba, amid a wave of thefts that has severely impacted the province's energy infrastructure.
The that the events occurred during the night of September 2 at the Sevilla Substation, known as "La Redonda."
According to the entity, local residents and members of the operational police force caught in the act two individuals while they were attempting to extract oil from one of the transformers.
At the site, bottles and hoses were seized that, according to the company, would be used to extract and store the liquid.
Two other individuals allegedly involved managed to flee. The Electric Company did not provide their identities or specify whether authorities are conducting an active search to locate them.
"Not a minor issue," the entity warned, and recalled that the extraction of dielectric oil can put a transformer out of service and cause further disruptions to the electricity supply.
This oil serves essential functions of insulation and cooling within transformers, so removing it can lead to failures and result in prolonged power outages for areas that rely on the equipment.
The substation "La Redonda" had already been the victim of similar incidents before. Due to these previous events, the company stated that additional measures had been taken to reduce the risk of theft and protect the facility.
"However, these events demonstrate that prevention and vigilance must be maintained on a permanent basis," stated the entity, which expressed gratitude to the neighbors who sounded the alarm and to the operational guard for their actions.
The Electric Company stated that the incident will be treated as sabotage because it was aimed at an installation of the electrical system and a vital resource for its operation.
This classification is supported by the , approved in May 2025, which states that the theft, damage, or alteration of components affecting the National Electric System and other critical infrastructures may constitute the crime of sabotage as provided for in Article 125 of the Penal Code.
The new incident occurs days after it was reported that Santiago de Cuba is among the five provinces with the highest number of thefts of dielectric oil, alongside Matanzas, Ciego de Ávila, Mayabeque, and Artemisa.
According to figures released by the General Prosecutor's Office of Cuba, between 2025 and the first half of 2026, more than 460 criminal investigations were initiated for crimes against the National Electric System. Over 300 complaints were specifically related to the theft of transformer oil.
Santiago de Cuba has reported several serious cases in recent months. At the end of August, the theft of transformer oil left the Provincial Center for Molecular Medicine without electricity. Samples from a critically ill patient had to be transferred to Granma for processing due to the lack of electrical service.
In another incident that occurred in El Cobre, a man died from electrocution while allegedly attempting to steal oil from a transformer bank. Another individual involved was arrested and charged with sabotage.
Related videos:
Filed under: