A friend of mine just retired from U.S. Customs and he said that most Customs agents are well trained when it comes to Cuban cigars and when they see cigars without bands they typically make the person destroy them on the spot (this is a well known tactic to sneak in Cuban cigars). He said that you may find some agents that won't, but typically you will not be able to bring them in even without bands. You may find an agent that might let you bring in one or two, but never a box.wwmd wrote:Usually I think the U.S. tourists just remove the bands from the cigars in order to move through customs, and then they have the option of replacing the bands afterwards. I don't think you can take any box marked "Hecho en Cuba" though, so you'd have to leave that behind.
--Sammy
Cigars
Moderator: Styles Bitchley
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IslandHopper
- Master Flub Spotter
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The answer is obvious, old man. Logic is irrelevant. It's simply Tropical Madness. (J.Q. Higgins)
Yeah, IslandHopper, I figured that method was a little too simple. I'd only heard that tourists try to sneak in cigars without the bands, but had never known anyone who was actually successfulA friend of mine just retired from U.S. Customs and he said that most Customs agents are well trained when it comes to Cuban cigars and when they see cigars without bands they typically make the person destroy them on the spot (this is a well known tactic to sneak in Cuban cigars). He said that you may find some agents that won't, but typically you will not be able to bring them in even without bands. You may find an agent that might let you bring in one or two, but never a box.
.Still, you never know; maybe you could put a different cigar band on a couple of Cubans and say they're from your buddy's Canadian bachelor party. Oh well, I guess it's just as good to smoke 'em in good 'ol Canada.
--Sammy
What would Magnum do?-
IKnowWhatYoureThinking
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My reasoning was always along the lines of: Why would anyone buy cigars in Canada, if they could purchase them in the US, and then bring them home? Okay, they may be cheaper, or then, maybe not.
It only makes sense to buy what you can't get in the States and the U. S. Customs has figured that one out.
It only makes sense to buy what you can't get in the States and the U. S. Customs has figured that one out.
Higgins: You've washed the car?! How extraordinary. Why would you do such a thing?
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IKnowWhatYoureThinking
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