A man named Osmidy Vera Ortega has been arrested in the town of Calimete, Matanzas province, on charges related to the illegal slaughter of cattle, according to the pro-government Facebook page, Con Todos La Victoria. Vera Ortega is currently in the hands of the judicial authorities as investigations continue to explore potential links to illegal meat trade networks, as the publication suggested. And in January, two individuals were detained in Matanzas with pounds of meat, bones, and entrails. The statistics are telling: in 2024, the province reported losses of 12,459 heads of cattle due to theft and illegal slaughter, approximately 1,500 more than the previous year, according to Radio 26. Legal Penalties and Persistent IssuesThe Cuban Penal Code (Law 151/2022) enforces penalties ranging from 4 to 10 years for the illegal slaughter of another's cattle, and from three to eight years for trafficking such meat.