19 Mar The Legacy of Raúl Castro: Nepotism, Drug Trafficking, and Repression in Cuba

By,

William Acosta, SME, MSI2

Jesús Daniel Romero, Senior Fellow, MSI2

Raúl Castro is dead, was the rumor we heard in 2024. The news was welcomed by many Cuban exiles who saw the end of 71 years in power. That wasn’t the case. Power passed to Miguel Díaz-Canel, although Raúl continues to play a key role in the background.

Raúl Castro has been a key figure in Cuban history. The Castro brothers’ legacy marks a turning point in the narrative of a regime deeply involved in domestic repression and the expansion of its influence in Latin America. During his tenure, Raúl not only consolidated nepotism in power but was also embroiled in drug trafficking scandals that revealed direct connections with organized crime.

A significant example of the Cuban regime’s involvement in illicit activities was the case of the North Korean ship Chong Chon Gang, detained in Panama in July 2013. The vessel was intercepted on suspicion of illegal activity. When searched, more than 2,000 kilos of cocaine were found pierside at the port of Balboa (United Nations Security Council, 2014). 

The apprehension of this vessel evidenced mutual collaboration between Cuba and North Korea, as well as the complicity of Cuban officials in drug trafficking. Panamanian authorities arrested the ship’s crew, consisting of 35 North Koreans and two Cuban nationals onboard. This incident raised international concerns about arms and drug trafficking directly linked to Pyongyang and Havana (United Nations Security Council, 2014).

An additional scandal involved high-ranking Cuban military officials in drug trafficking networks, revealed in 2016. Major General Arnaldo Ochoa, executed in 1989, had been accused of drug trafficking before his execution. Although Ochoa was part of Fidel Castro’s regime, the echoes of his case extended into Raúl’s tenure, suggesting the problem persisted within the military structure (U.S. Department of State, 2017).

During this period, Cuba became a safe haven for Colombia’s top FARC and ELN senior leadership, linked to drug trafficking with indictments and international arrest warrants. It was documented that some factions of these groups established connections with the Cuban regime, raising concerns about the island’s use as a transit point for drugs sent to the United States and Europe (Otis, 2014). These organizations maintained ties with Venezuela’s regime under Hugo Chávez and Nicolás Maduro, strengthening drug trafficking networks in the region and utilizing established routes for logistical movements (InSight Crime, 2022).

Raúl Castro also provided military and intelligence support to Nicolás Maduro, facilitating the arrival of G2 agents from Cuba to Venezuela. These agents have played a crucial role in the intelligence and counterintelligence operations of Maduro’s regime, helping consolidate his total control over the country (Human Rights Watch, 2019). The presence of these agents enabled Maduro to carry out repressive activities against opponents both inside and outside Venezuela.

There are documented reports of the capture and arrest of Venezuelan intelligence agents on U.S. territory, operating under Maduro’s regime. These agents have been accused of conducting espionage and surveillance on dissenters and political opponents in exile. A prominent case was that of Alex Saab, detained in Cape Verde in 2020 and extradited to the United States. Saab, a businessman linked to the regime, was accused of participating in a corruption and money laundering network benefiting Maduro (U.S. Department of the Treasury, 2020).

Additionally, Maduro’s regime, with Cuba’s support, has been responsible for the kidnapping and execution of dissenters in several South American countries. A notable case is that of Fernando Albán, an opposition councilman arrested in Venezuela and later found dead under suspicious circumstances in 2018. His death was widely denounced as a political assassination, with suspected involvement of the Maduro regime and Cuban agents (Human Rights Watch, 2019). Another case involves the Rincón brothers, Venezuelan dissenters kidnapped in Colombia in 2017 and believed transferred to Venezuela. Accused of conspiring against the regime, their whereabouts remain unknown.

A relevant case in the intelligence realm was the arrest of former Cuban ambassador to the United States, José Ramón Cabañas, accused of espionage in 2016 (U.S. Department of State, 2016). This highlighted undercover activities by the Cuban regime on U.S. territory. Additionally, Cuban intelligence spy Ana Belén Montes, sentenced in 2002 for spying on behalf of the Cuban regime, was recently released, raising concerns about her return and access to sensitive information (Federal Bureau of Investigation, 2002).

In this context, several cocaine shipments have been documented as suspected of being linked to the Cuban regime. In 2017, the U.S. Coast Guard confiscated a ship carrying nearly 1,000 kilos of cocaine in Caribbean waters, with investigations pointing to connections with drug trafficking networks operating in Cuba and associated with regime officials (U.S. Department of State, 2017). This underscored the island’s use as a strategic point in drug trafficking routes. Additionally, in 2018, Colombian authorities dismantled a cocaine processing laboratory linked to FARC operations, suspected of receiving logistical support from Cuba (Otis, 2014).

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration documented that during Raúl Castro’s tenure, drug trafficking intensified in the Caribbean, with Cuba viewed as a strategic point. Reports suggest the regime not only ignored these activities but may have been involved to obtain economic benefits (U.S. Department of State, 2017). Furthermore, Raúl Castro’s legacy was marred by espionage cases. The “Cuban Five,” agents convicted of conspiracy to spy on anti-Castro groups in Miami, generated diplomatic tensions between the two countries (U.S. Department of State, 2016).

During his administration, Cubans were arrested abroad with large sums of cash, raising suspicions about government officials’ involvement in illegal activities, often tied to drug trafficking and corruption. The revelation by former Medellín Cartel capo Carlos Lehder adds another layer. In his memoirs, Lehder affirmed that Raúl Castro greenlighted drug trafficking operations, with the regime receiving millions to facilitate cocaine trafficking to the United States (Lehder, 2017).

Raúl Castro will be remembered for perpetuating an authoritarian system that repressed dissent and established constant surveillance. His backing of Fidel in the fight against imperialism, represented by the U.S. government, was a cornerstone of his narrative. Both brothers united in defense of the revolution, transforming Cuba into a bastion of socialism in the region, albeit at the cost of freedom and human rights (Amnesty International, 2024; Freedom House, 2024).

In conclusion, Raúl Castro’s legacy is complex and contradictory, marked by nepotism, repression, and his involvement in drug trafficking. Cuba’s history continues, and although Raúl Castro’s figure is no longer front and center, his more than 71 years of influence and the system he helped build will continue to pose a challenge for the country’s future.

References

Amnesty International. (2024). Cuba 2023. Retrieved from https://www.amnesty.org/en/location/americas/central-america-and-the-caribbean/cuba/report-cuba/

Federal Bureau of Investigation. (2002, October 21). Ana Belen Montes: Sentencing press release. Retrieved from https://archives.fbi.gov/archives/news/pressrel/press-releases/ana-belen-montes-sentenced

Freedom House. (2024). Freedom in the world 2024: Cuba. Retrieved from https://freedomhouse.org/country/cuba/freedom-world/2024

Human Rights Watch. (2019). Venezuela: Events of 2018. Retrieved from https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2019/country-chapters/venezuela

InSight Crime. (2022, October 3). Venezuela and the ELN’s love-hate relationship with drug trafficking. Retrieved from https://insightcrime.org/news/venezuela-eln-love-hate-relationship-drug-trafficking/

Lehder, C. (2017). Life in exile: The memoirs of Carlos Lehder. [Self-published memoir excerpt]. Retrieved from https://www.cubanet.org/noticias/el-excapo-del-cartel-de-medellin-carlos-lehder-habla-de-los-vinculos-con-cuba/

Otis, J. (2014, December 14). The FARC and Colombia’s illegal drug trade. Wilson Center. Retrieved from https://www.wilsoncenter.org/publication/the-farc-and-colombias-illegal-drug-trade

United Nations Security Council. (2014). Report of the Panel of Experts established pursuant to resolution 1874 (2009). Retrieved from https://www.un.org/securitycouncil/sanctions/1718/panel_experts/reports

U.S. Department of State. (2016). Country reports on terrorism 2015: Cuba. Retrieved from https://www.state.gov/reports/country-reports-on-terrorism-2015/

U.S. Department of State. (2017). International narcotics control strategy report: Volume I – Drug and chemical control. Retrieved from https://www.state.gov/international-narcotics-control-strategy-reports/

U.S. Department of the Treasury. (2020, June 12). Treasury targets Alex Saab and his network of corruption in Venezuela. Retrieved from https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sm1032