The “Frontier” case in Cacocum, where a group armed with machetes and shotguns stole 61 cattle, is highlighted
14ymedio, Holguín, October 3, 2025 — Crime is rampant in Holguín, and the official statistics confirm this. During the Provincial Plenary held on Thursday at the Expo Holguín fairground, it was reported that in September alone 1,672 criminal acts were recorded, an increase compared to August, with seven municipalities affected. Calixto García, Moa and Sagua de Tánamo top the list as the most problematic.
Among the homicides, robberies with force and the recurring theft of cattle, the local authorities met and presented a deluge of worrying figures, adorned with calls for “revolutionary vigilance” and criticism of the managers of ration stores and state entities, which apparently have become the favorite prey of thieves and opportunists.
Of all the cases presented, the one that attracted the most attention was the one baptized as “Frontier.” On September 1, in the town of Limoncitos (Cacocum), a custodian aged just 28 decided that caring for cows was less profitable than stealing them. And with the complicity of 12 other people, he planned the theft of 61 cattle from the dairy where he worked.
Mounted on horseback, dressed in black, with balaclavas, three shotguns and several knives, the thieves burst in as if it were a western movie. The plot ended with 13 detainees, although one, the main organizer, remains at large. The authorities claim that some of the perpetrators were arrested after an “intensive interrogation process.”
The robberies of ration stores were also at the center of the debate. In September, five incidents were reported in the municipalities of Holguín and Báguanos.
The criminals are not only aware of when the rice arrives, but could also be taking advantage of help from the workers themselves
The curious thing, officials said, is that the thefts coincided with the distribution of rice, which suggests that the criminals are not only aware of when the rice arrives, but may also be taking advantage of help from the workers themselves, or the information disseminated on Telegram.
For Joel Queipo Ruiz, First Secretary of the Party in the province, the problem is not so much the thieves but the administrators who “don’t take measures,” and the lack of “revolutionary vigilance.”
Nor do the crime statistics for state entities offer much comfort. In September, 50 events were recorded, bringing the total to 894 so far this year. The municipality of Holguín accounts for 38.2% of the incidences, with a predominance of robbery, theft and, again, the eternal problem of livestock.
The perpetrators of these crimes have shown increasing violence
Some 54.5 percent of crimes were concentrated in strategic sectors such as agriculture, trade, public health, education and water resources. To top it all off, the perpetrators of these crimes have shown increasing violence, according to the police report.
Mayarí, Urbano Noris and Banes accompany Holguín province as the most affected territories. Lack of lighting, vacant security positions and administrative mismanagement complete a scenario conducive to the increase in crime.
Finally, Queipo praised the importance of the Fourth Crime Prevention and Confrontation Exercise, held in September throughout the country, as a way to “ensure citizen peace, respect for internal order, stability and social discipline.”
Holguín, one of the most populous provinces in the country, today displays a map of insecurity that resists being whitewashed with harangues.
Translated by Regina Anavy
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