Fuel Theft in Cuba: State Entities at the Heart of the Problem, Says Interior Ministry

Lieutenant Colonel Asmel Rojas Águila from Cuba's Ministry of the Interior (MININT) revealed on the state-run show "Hacemos Cuba," hosted by Humberto López, that fuel theft is predominantly occurring within state-run entities on the island.

The officer highlighted that these crimes typically take place at night when security measures are more relaxed, allowing perpetrators to exploit the lack of oversight.

Here are the top three hotspots for these thefts:

• Generator groups
• CUPET storage facilities
• Bus depots

Rojas Águila reported that, from January to August 2025, the regime's authorities have successfully reclaimed approximately 350,000 liters of fuel through police operations conducted across various provinces.

He also mentioned that MININT, in collaboration with the Unión Eléctrica de Cuba (UNE), is conducting inspections on every generator group nationwide to curb the diversion and theft of fuel in these facilities, which are crucial for maintaining power generation amidst frequent blackouts affecting the Cuban populace.

Meanwhile, Yarianna Guerra, head of the fuel distribution company, explained that theft begins at the storage depots, particularly those with large storage capacities. From there, the fuel is distributed to tanker trucks and eventually reaches the end-users at gas stations.

The statements from these officials confirm long-held suspicions among Cubans: that fuel theft is deeply intertwined with networks inside the state institutions themselves, amid a severe economic and energy crisis in the country.