Havana/The General Customs of the Republic of Cuba seized 22,800 doses of a synthetic drug, known on the Island as chemicalcoming from the United States, in an attempt at international trafficking, state media reported this Wednesday.
The first vice chief of Customs, Wiliam Pérez González, revealed that the drug was detected when 19 leaves impregnated with a synthetic cannabinoid were seized inside a box of cereals. “The consumption of 22,800 doses was avoided, a result that reaffirms the effectiveness of border control actions,” said the manager. on social networks.
Pérez also stressed that the United States is “the main origin” of this drug, which significantly impacts young people, which is why severe legal-penal measures are applied in the cases detected.
The Cuban authorities have long recognized, unlike what happened in the past, an increase in drug consumption, and have shown concern about its circulation on the Island, especially among young people.
In 2025, a total of 507 kilograms of drugs, mainly cocaine, were seized and 174 people linked to drug trafficking were arrested.
At the same time, they insist on stating that Cuba “is not a country that produces or transits illicit drugs” and that the policy of the island government is “zero tolerance” with this scourge.
In 2025, a total of 507 kilograms of drugs, mainly cocaine, were seized and 174 people linked to drug trafficking were arrested.
The head of the anti-drug body of the Ministry of the Interior, Juan Carlos Poey, said last December that 51 young people and 72 minors were involved in “83 acts of drug trafficking and consumption.”
He also pointed out that almost all of them were adolescents between 13 and 16 years old who consume the drug known as chemical (47%).
The Cuban Penal Code punishes “possession and trafficking of illicit drugs with penalties ranging from four to 30 years in prison, including life imprisonment and up to the death sentence.”
