Exemplary Trial Reaffirms Cuba’s Zero-Tolerance Drug Policy

An exemplary oral trial in a narcotics case was held in the province of Holguín, corresponding to Case 2 of 2026 under the Third Criminal Chamber, serving as an exponent of Cuba's zero-tolerance policy toward drugs.

The case, linked to Preparatory Phase File 567 of 2025 from the Territorial Criminal Investigation Unit III of Banes, demonstrated that the accused had spent several years committing criminal acts associated with these substances. This prompted monitoring and surveillance by the Municipal National Anti-Drug Directorate under Investigative Process File 385 of 2025, known as the Jagüeyes Case.

Yeisys González Escalona, Vice President of the Provincial People's Court of Holguín, informed the ACN that investigations determined the cultivation and sale of Cannabis Sativa L. ssp. Indica, commonly known as marijuana, in the Jagüeyes de Puerto Rico area of the Banes municipality.

Consequently, on the morning of May 6, 2025, a police operation was conducted, resulting in the capture of the accused near the plantation. The official explained that the individual was found hiding in the brush within an area delimited by a fence of wooden poles and wire.

She noted that during the operation, 429 plants ranging in height from 14 to 77 centimeters were seized, with a total net weight of 2,420 grams of the species Cannabis Sativa L. ssp. Indica, along with 11,280 Cuban pesos.

Cannabis Sativa Indica, commonly known as marijuana, falls within the group of hallucinogenic psychotropic substances and can cause amotivational syndrome and psychological dependence. For this reason, it is subject to international control under the Single Convention of 1961, appearing in Schedules I and IV of narcotic substances, of which Cuba is a signatory member.

For these reasons, the defendant was convicted as the perpetrator of the crime of drug trafficking, as provided for in Article 235.1 d) and 2 g) of Law 151 of 2022 of the current Penal Code. While the legal framework allows for a sanction of 10 to 30 years of imprisonment, the court took into account the recidivism defined in Article 82.1.3 a) and imposed a sentence of 14 years of deprivation of liberty, González Escalona stated.

Furthermore, accessory sanctions were applied, including the suppression of rights provided for in Article 42.1 a), b), c), and d); the prohibition of leaving the national territory under Article 59.1 for a term of 14 years; and the forfeiture of 11,280 pesos under Article 52.1, all in accordance with Law 151 of 2022 of the current Penal Code.

The judicial act was carried out while respecting all legal and procedural guarantees for the accused, as established by the country’s current legislation.