A recent press conference held by the Minister of Justice and two representatives of law enforcement agencies of the Ministry of the Interior provided significant data on the results of actions to prevent drug abuse and illicit trafficking in Cuba in recent years, in line with the increase in international challenges posed by this scourge.
The information provided that day and subsequent statements by Deputy Foreign Minister Josefina Vidal Ferreiro debunk any manipulation of the issue by the US government, while strongly confirming the island's clean record in the fight against drug trafficking.
The Deputy Minister was clear in stating that "specialized U.S. agencies know firsthand how effective Cuba is in combating drug trafficking, as they benefited directly from it until Secretary of State Marco Rubio instructed them to unilaterally cut off dialogue and cooperation on migration and law enforcement issues."
In this regard, it was reported at the press conference that between 1990 and November 2025, Cuban Border Guard Troops sent the U.S. Coast Guard 1,547 pieces of intelligence information and only received 468, between responses and reports from the U.S. side.
And it is not only with their U.S. counterparts that the Border Guard Troops promote operational cooperation in the fight against international drug trafficking, but also with services in the region, exchanging intelligence information, characteristics of boats, and maneuvering elements.
In addition, they share information when large-scale landings occur as warnings of possible threats to their territories, with the aim of determining the possible causes of this phenomenon. Everything is done in real time, with a view to increasing the effectiveness of the fight against this transnational crime. This cooperation takes place in a climate of respect, professionalism, transparency, and complete adherence to the truth.
As a result of this cooperation and the constant surveillance of the forces that protect our maritime borders and coasts, 14 speedboats and 39 drug traffickers have been detained and captured, with a total of 4,487.47 kg of drugs in recent years, which is the best guarantee of the determination to fight illicit drugs and international drug trafficking in all its forms. These are boats that travel close to Cuban waters, bound for neighboring countries.
These are just the most recent figures, which are part of the more than 40 tons of drugs that Cuba has seized in the last 14 years, destined for the U.S. drug market.
Last November, in the midst of recovering from the severe impact of Hurricane Melissa, the Border Guard Troops, with the support of the population and the Mirando al Mar Detachments of the Committees for the Defense of the Revolution, successfully confronted a massive landing on the north coast of Guantánamo, seizing 792.5 kg of marijuana and 12.25 kg of cocaine.
At the air border, forces from the Ministry of the Interior and the General Customs of the Republic tirelessly confront proven plans by Cubans and foreigners living abroad to introduce narcotics into the national territory by air, using passengers, cargo, and postal shipments, combining traditional methods of operation and concealment with new ones.
As a result of these efforts, between 2024 and 2025, 72 operations involving different types of drugs—cocaine, methamphetamines, and synthetic cannabinoids—have been thwarted from 11 countries, with the United States being the main source. a country with which, since 2016, there has been a cooperation agreement on drugs, although its procedures for effective exchange have not been implemented. Nevertheless, Cuba remains willing to collaborate and has continued to report on these incidents and their organizers.
The country considers the development of international operational cooperation to be a fundamental element of its anti-drug policy. To this end, the Minint maintains information exchanges with 37 points of contact with anti-drug services, and with the Interpol National Central Bureau in Havana, it keeps 58 Cubans and two foreigners on file for the crime of illicit drug trafficking; it also holds meetings with representatives of anti-drug and border services from various countries accredited in our national territory.
Cuba is winning with its comprehensive and multifaceted policy that prioritizes prevention, based on education, culture, health, sports, and healthy recreation, while strengthening the fight against drugs with the participation of everyone. And it continues to overcome the serious challenges of today's world, committed to the political will of zero tolerance.
