The Provincial Prosecutor's Office of Artemisa opened a preparatory phase file for the alleged crime of sabotage against two individuals who removed dielectric oil from an electric transformer located in the municipality of Bauta, leaving nearby residents and state entities without electricity.
The case, reported this Thursday by the weekly El Artemiseño and Agencia Cubana de Noticias, is being handled by the Unit for Crimes Against State Security of Artemisa, and both accused have been placed in provisional detention as a precautionary measure.
One of the defendants is a worker in the electrical sector of Havana who allegedly took advantage of the vehicle assigned for his work duties to commit the theft, which exacerbates the situation by involving a breach of trust and privileged access to the infrastructure.
The affected transformer supplied power to both households and state entities involved in milk procurement.
When the electrical supply was restored, the equipment was out of service because, as stated by the Prosecutor's Office, "the levels of dielectric oil were insufficient to ensure the cooling and insulation required for its operation."
As a result, residents of the community and various economic entities were temporarily without electricity service.
The Prosecutor's Office announced that, on behalf of the Cuban state, it will seek "severe criminal penalties, in line with the harmfulness of the investigated conduct and the damages caused to the National Electric System."
The current Penal Code sets forth penalties for the crime of sabotage ranging from seven to 15 years of imprisonment.
In the aggravated modalities—when serious economic harm, severe injuries, or the death of individuals occur—the penalties may range from 10 to 30 years, life imprisonment, and even the death penalty, according to Articles 125 and 126 of that regulation.
This case is part of a national wave of thefts of transformer dielectric oil that the authorities are addressing with increasing severity.
By August 2026, the Ministry of Energy and Mines reported 479 cases across the country, with over 460 criminal investigations opened between 2025 and the first half of this year.
Matanzas tops the list of affected provinces with 175 thefts and over 55,950 liters of oil lost. A town in that province went 26 days without electricity after one of these thefts.
The stolen oil is resold on the black market to be mixed with diesel and used as fuel in tractors, trucks, and agricultural machinery, amid a severe fuel shortage affecting the island.
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