An operation by the National Revolutionary Police (PNR) in the Sueño neighborhood of Santiago de Cuba resulted in the seizure of several pharmaceuticals that were allegedly being sold illegally, according to a report on Friday by the state-affiliated website "Santiago de Cuba Hoy," related to MININT.
According to the information released by the authorities, among the confiscated products were domestically produced medications and controlled sales in the network of state pharmacies.
"The individuals involved could not legally justify the origin of the products," the official source stated, without specifying the number of detainees or their identities.
The images from the operation show a large number of blisters, boxes, and loose pills of various colors scattered across a table, in what appears to be a domestic setting. Among the partially legible text on the packaging is the acronym "BICA," which could correspond to Bicalutamide, a controlled medication.
The authorities indicated that the investigation is ongoing to determine the origin of the drugs and if there are more individuals connected to the case.
The operation is not an isolated incident. In February of this year, the PNR had already carried out another seizure against the illegal sale of medications at the 18 Garzón Plants, also in Santiago de Cuba, which generated reactions on social media.
The pattern repeats across the Island. Last June, two women were arrested in Holguín for the same crime; in December 2025, seven people were detained in Havana; and in October of that same year, a court in Villa Clara sentenced an individual to six years in prison for illegally selling medications and medical supplies, including tramadol and diphenhydramine.
Behind these operations is the most severe pharmaceutical crisis that Cuba has experienced in decades. In April of this year, only 30% of the national basic drug list —190 out of 651— were available in state pharmacies.
In August of last year, Ciego de Ávila reported a deficit of 457 medications unavailable through its local pharmacy network. In February, authorities in Villa Clara acknowledged that 368 out of 636 essential drugs were missing and that "all pharmacological families are affected".
This chronic shortage drives the population to turn to the informal market, where medications circulate without health regulation and at exorbitant prices, posing a risk of contamination.
The State Control Center for Medicines (CECMED) has issued alerts regarding counterfeit or adulterated medications in circulation.
The regime has conducted over 5,000 inspections and joint operations between the MINSAP and the MININT, but these actions do not address the structural cause of the problem: the ongoing shortages that the dictatorship has been unable —or unwilling— to rectify for decades.
Under the current Cuban Penal Code, the illegal sale of controlled medications can result in prison sentences of up to 10 years, with even harsher penalties if the drugs are classified as narcotics or psychotropics.
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