The Municipal Prosecutor's Office in Trinidad, located in the province of Sancti Spíritus, is currently conducting an investigation into three state-owned entities concerning six alleged incidents of fuel and other material theft, as reported by the official newspaper Escambray on Sunday.
Marlines Hernández Mollineda, the chief prosecutor of the area, highlighted the severity of the situation, noting that all the affected facilities had active surveillance and protection systems at the time of the incidents.
"What stands out the most is that these locations had surveillance systems and protection measures in place to safeguard these assets, yet due to weaknesses in control, these incidents occurred, leading to a significant and undeniable loss for the State," stated Hernández.
The investigation involves several individuals who were directly responsible for safeguarding the pilfered resources. Authorities have already retrieved some of the stolen goods within the investigated facilities, although technical assessments are still pending.
"We are delving deeper into the investigations and awaiting expert reports, although some stolen goods have already been recovered from the facilities," Hernández added.
Fuel Theft Considered Sabotage in Cuba
Legally, fuel theft is treated with particular severity in Cuba. The chief prosecutor explained that this crime is not prosecuted as a common theft but is classified as sabotage, carrying sentences ranging from three to eight years of imprisonment, surpassing the penalties for robbery with force — between two and five years — or failure to protect assets — between six months and two years.
"Under the current circumstances, the rigor of the investigations is heightened due to the damage that resource theft inflicts on the country's economy," the chief prosecutor emphasized.
Fuel Shortage Fuels Black Market Activity
The situation in Trinidad reflects a national trend of fuel diversion from the state sector, exacerbated by the worst energy crisis Cuba has faced in decades. On May 14, the Minister of Energy and Mines, Vicente de la O Levy, publicly admitted that the country had depleted all its reserves: "We have absolutely no fuel oil, nor any diesel."
This severe shortage has driven the price of diesel on the informal market to between 3,500 and 8,000 pesos per liter, turning the diversion of state fuel into a highly lucrative business and increasing thefts at state facilities.
Similar incidents have been reported across the island in recent weeks. In early June, Minint forces apprehended a fuel tanker truck in the also Spirited municipality of Yaguajay carrying 6,000 liters of stolen fuel oil from oil wells in Ciego de Ávila, leading to an investigation for possible sabotage with four individuals being held in provisional custody.
Later that month, a man was arrested in Guantánamo while transporting 120 liters of diesel on an electric tricycle, and authorities also discovered multiple containers of stored fuel within a power generator.
The state-owned company Cupet has acknowledged that these crimes involve workers, custodians, brigade leaders, and executives from affected entities, indicating that the problem is not circumstantial but structural.
Between January and August 2025, the Minint reported recovering 350,000 liters of stolen fuel across the national territory.
Understanding the Fuel Theft Crisis in Cuba
What is the current status of the fuel theft investigation in Trinidad?
The investigation is ongoing, involving several individuals responsible for safeguarding the resources, with some stolen goods already recovered from the facilities.
How is fuel theft prosecuted in Cuba?
Fuel theft is prosecuted as sabotage in Cuba, with penalties ranging from three to eight years of imprisonment, which are more severe than those for robbery with force or failure to protect assets.
What factors have led to the increase in fuel theft in Cuba?
The extreme fuel shortage and high informal market prices have made fuel diversion a lucrative business, leading to increased thefts at state facilities.