Cuban Cigars, can you bring them home?

[CloverKnollFarms]

Technically, you are not allowed to bring Cubans back.
The trade embargo was relaxed under Obama, but reinstated under Trump. Alcohol and tobacco are a no. However, I’d be surprised if anything sold in Mexico as “Cuban” is actually Cuban. They are the number one counterfeiter

 

[Complete Turf Care]

In 1996, a group of us were crossing back from a bear hunt in Canada at International Falls, MN. Two of us had taken bears and we were showing our paperwork at the border. The agents began to question us and our paperwork.

About that time, one of the agents reached back and hit a large red button on the wall, and alarms and red lights went off. The agent they yelled "Stop that motorhome! It's full of beer!" The agent questioning us handed us our paperwork and said 'go on, get out of here'. Then everyone started after the motorhome that was headed into Canada.

Although I'm fairly certain that all of our paperwork was in order, we didn't stick around.

 

[OldPaint]

Technically, you are not allowed to bring Cubans back.

DHS/Customs/Immigration frowns on bringing the cigars back too.

 

[xrjohndeere]

We were boarded by the coast guard sailing back from a dive trip in the Bahamas. They asked if we had anything to declare and if we had and contraban. Specifically Cuban cigars or dope. They ask lots of questions but were polite. Looked over all our firearms which were a lot. One commented that pirates would have a bad day trying to take this vessel. We all laughed! They wished us a safe voyage and left.

 

[34Willys]

In 1996, a group of us were crossing back from a bear hunt in Canada at International Falls, MN. Two of us had taken bears and we were showing our paperwork at the border. The agents began to question us and our paperwork.

About that time, one of the agents reached back and hit a large red button on the wall, and alarms and red lights went off. The agent they yelled "Stop that motorhome! It's full of beer!" The agent questioning us handed us our paperwork and said 'go on, get out of here'. Then everyone started after the motorhome that was headed into Canada.

Although I'm fairly certain that all of our paperwork was in order, we didn't stick around.

That motorhome was probably the McKenzie brothers returning from the Elsinore Brewery Castle with their life time supply of beer granted to them because they found a mouse in one of their bottles.
Take off, Hoser!
Patrick

 

[dmccarty]

...
OP, your punishment for violation is to smoke all of the cigars at the same time. That should teach you to stop smuggling, er smoking.

Supposedly, JFK was given some Cuban cigars when he was president and they were contraband. He gave them to some of his staff members and told them to destroy the cigars by burning them....

Later,
Dan

 

[dmccarty]

We visited younger daughter during her semester abroad in New Delhi. After landing at San Francisco in the middle of the night, dead tired, our luggage never came out of customs. So we waited. Until we were the last people in the room. The customs agent rudely demanded....

We were boarded by the coast guard sailing back from a dive trip in the Bahamas. They asked if we had anything to declare and if we had and contraban. Specifically Cuban cigars or dope. They ask lots of questions but were polite....

Dealing with US TSA, Customs and Immigration seems to have rude interactions too many times. We got "yelled" at by Customs in Communist China but that was because the lady did not speak English. It really was out of a comedy routine. If they can't understand your language, yell louder! We knew other people had had the same experience at this port of entry so we knew we were likely to get yelled at but it was obvious it was not personal. Having said that, I know some people were offended but it was nothing like the TSA agent in LAX that would have been a perfect fit to live in Putin's Russia. Going through security in Hong Kong was also polite and professional but this was before the CCP took over complete control of the city.

The vast majority of comments I have heard and read regarding USCG boardings is that they are professional and/or polite. I wish we could get that respect and behavior out of the TSA, Customs and Immigration.

Later,
Dan

 

[oosik]

May be easier to bring a Cuban home with you than one of his cigars.

 

[MossRoad]

 

[California]

TSA agent took my wallet and told me to turn around away from him. I refused. I told him there were some $100 bills in the wallet and I didn't trust him so I wasn't going to lose sight of the wallet. He insisted like he had the upper hand, I refused. He finally backed down and handed back the wallet, but it was tense. This was back when there were news stories about crooked TSA agents.

Another time we went to NYC to help daughter move, after she accepted a new job in California and was returning home. I carried her violin. TSA directed me aside to a table away from the line for full inspection of the violin case. I had to unroll pairs of socks that were padding the violin, etc, full 100% inspection with no sense of humor, before it was cleared.

 

[MossRoad]

When I was going back and forth between Canada and Michigan or New York, I always found that if you're leaving either country, they say BYE! and you're on your way. When you're entering either country, they give you the eyeball.

 

[HawkinsHollow]

The only time I have gotten hassled by customs was coming back from 2 years in Colombia. He grilled me about what I was doing there and I told him the truth, teaching chemistry. Then in Spanish he asked me, "How could you be teaching Chemistry?" I told him in my mediocre Spanish,"Because I was teaching in English." He waved me along.

 

[California]

The only time I have gotten hassled by customs was coming back from 2 years in Colombia. He grilled me about what I was doing there and I told him the truth, teaching chemistry. Then in Spanish he asked me, "How could you be teaching Chemistry?" I told him in my mediocre Spanish,"Because I was teaching in English." He waved me along.

Similar. At the neighborhood Christmas party I told a Chilean who has lived here many years, that long ago I taught automechanics in Venezuela. She quizzed me "Hablas Castellano?" with a gotcha! undertone.

"No, natha tan puro. Hablo el español de la calle." ("I don't speak the Castillian of upper class Spaniards, rather, the street language of my barrio students.")

She's rather snooty but that elicited a grin.

 

[California]

And an encounter overseas. At a layover in Hong Kong International Airport, an employee obviously in the role of greeter noticed we had been stuck there for a while and came over to talk. The talk got around to where we were from. "Americans, no?" At the time some things were controversial in the US so I replied "yes, but actually, we're Californians." He grinned but didn't say anything in response.

 

[BackRoad]

And to think for the last 60 years I've been feeling rather guilty for smuggling firecrackers in from Canada as an 8 year old...

I knew I should have gone with the Cuban cigars!!!

 

[Alan W.]

An old supervisor of mine was going through airport security. When he picked up his carryon he turned to one of his coworkers and jokingly said they missed my 45.
As they picked him up from the floor in cuffs he realized his error. This was pre 9-11.