Cuba probes fuel theft at three state facilities in Trinidad

The municipal prosecutor’s office in Trinidad, Sancti Spíritus, opened an investigation into the theft of fuel and other material from three state‑owned entities, saying the loss harms the national economy. Prosecutor Marlines Hernández Mollineda warned of severe penalties, noting that sabotage‑related fuel theft carries sentences of three to eight years.

The probe follows earlier incidents, including the June 8 seizure of a tanker carrying 6,000 liters of fuel intended for illegal trafficking and a May case where a hospital worker received a 12‑year sentence for stealing more than 5,700 liters of diesel. Authorities said systemic weaknesses allow state employees and nearby residents to pilfer up to 30,000 liters per day, citing past large‑scale thefts involving dozens of suspects.