Despite sentences of up to 12 years in prison, the theft of this product, which is sold on the black market to replace diesel, is increasing.
14ymedio, Havana, August 20, 2026 – The theft of dielectric oil from a transformer supplying the Molecular Medicine Center in Santiago de Cuba forced samples from a critically ill patient who needed urgent tests to be transported to Granma this Thursday. The facility was affected after the essential liquid for the equipment’s operation was stolen early Wednesday morning, according to the provincial Electric Company.
“That meant an additional trip, fuel consumption and the mobilization of resources that could have been avoided,” the state entity lamented on its social media. “But there is something even more important: the time a patient loses when they urgently need a diagnosis.”
The incident is the latest in a long series of dielectric oil thefts that have affected transformers and substations in several provinces in recent months. The product acts as an insulator and coolant and prevents equipment from overheating. Its removal can end up causing a breakdown even if the transformer continues operating immediately after the theft.
The damage can leave thousands of people without power
Santiago de Cuba has been one of the hardest-hit provinces. On April 11, a man died and his brother suffered severe burns when the two were attempting to steal oil from a transformer bank supplying the water booster system in Altos de Esperanza, in Songo-La Maya. The explosion also damaged a 33-kilovolt line and left areas of that municipality and Segundo Frente without electricity service.
Following the accident, authorities recovered 70 liters of oil about 100 meters from the site. Months earlier, in September 2025, another man had been electrocuted on the Siboney highway while attempting to extract the same product from a transformer.
The damage can leave thousands of people without power. In San Luis, also in Santiago de Cuba, about 300 liters were stolen from a transformer at the Paquito Rosales substation during a disconnection of the National Electric System (SEN). Some 17,000 people in several communities were affected.
In Matanzas, during the first quarter of this year, authorities were investigating about 33 complaints related to these crimes, with around 40 people being prosecuted
The wave of thefts is not limited to eastern Cuba. In 2025, Ciego de Ávila recorded 41 criminal incidents, 84 affected transformers and 14,440 liters of oil lost. Last April, the theft of 600 liters from two transformers in Amancio, Las Tunas, left nearly 5,000 customers without electricity and affected the polyclinic, telecommunications and water pumping.
In Matanzas, during the first quarter of this year, authorities were investigating about 33 complaints related to these crimes, with around 40 people being prosecuted. According to the Ministry of the Interior, thieves frequently take advantage of the blackouts themselves to puncture transformers and drain the liquid.
The destination of the oil partly explains the surge in thefts. The product has found an outlet on the black market as a substitute for diesel and lubricants, which are scarce in the country. As early as September 2024, the official press mentioned a network that sold the liquid for 250 pesos per liter to use as fuel in diesel vehicles. In April of this year, a Facebook advertisement offered 100 liters of “transformer oil” for about 1,700 pesos per liter.
Neither the threat of long prison sentences nor calls from Prime Minister Manuel Marrero to take “tough action” appear to be stopping the phenomenon
Authorities themselves have also warned of a much more dangerous use. Radio Mambí, an official Santiago-based outlet, said in March that the product had even been used “for human consumption.” The possibility that it could end up being mixed with or sold as cooking oil has been repeatedly reported, although it has not been demonstrated that this is the destination of most of the stolen liquid.
In response to the increase in cases, the Government has toughened the penalties. In May 2025, the People’s Supreme Court established, through Ruling 475, that damage to electrical infrastructure can be prosecuted as sabotage. Article 125 of the Penal Code provides for prison sentences of seven to 15 years, which can increase considerably when aggravating circumstances apply.
The sentences have already begun to reflect that policy. On May 23, the Prosecutor’s Office requested 12 years in prison for a 36-year-old man accused of stealing 70 liters from a substation in Cayajabos, Artemisa. In July, another 12-year sentence became known for the theft of oil in Bungo 2 (Contramaestre, Santiago de Cuba), which caused about 48 hours of electrical disruptions. But neither the threat of long prison sentences nor calls from Prime Minister Manuel Marrero to take “tough action” appear to be stopping the phenomenon.
Translated by Regina Anavy
______________________
COLLABORATE WITH OUR WORK: The 14ymedio team is committed to practicing serious journalism that reflects Cuba’s reality in all its depth. Thank you for joining us on this long journey. We invite you to continue supporting us by becoming a member of 14ymedio now. Together we can continue transforming journalism in Cuba.