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Of course they don't. I've been a cigar hobbyist since the early 90s. Cuban cigars have been mostly to completely illegal in the US for the entire time, but wi
by MisterBastahrd 4y ago
Of course they don't.
I've been a cigar hobbyist since the early 90s. Cuban cigars have been mostly to completely illegal in the US for the entire time, but with the advent of the widespread use of web pages, we started to get better and better access to the Cuban supply via overseas retailers.
These retailers know full good and well that these cigars are contraband here in the states. But some of them were extremely lazy and would just ship entire pallets of merchandise. I'd guess that about 70-80% of the product bought overseas and shipped here actually got to the buyer. The rest were virtually all on these pallets where you'd have to be a complete idiot not to spot them.
- notch898a 4y agoI would be astonished if customs even finds it useful to appropriate any budget for seizure of Cuban cigars. It wouldn't surprise me if they let them through because it's less work than filling out the seizure paperwork. Everyone knows it's a measure that achieves nothing, and not even the rabid anti-drug people are going to give them an attaboy for finding tobacco, and the political will to do anything meaningfully further with the embargo is withering.
- MisterBastahrd 4y agoI know that I've never lost a single item to customs in all the years I was procuring cigars internationally, and most retailers would send out a second shipment if the first was seized for whatever reason. Even the gray market retailers, who would buy in volume from companies with actual Habanos licenses and then sell at a discount to customers would do this. I think you're right and it was only cases where they made it extremely obvious would customs ever do something about it. Of course, it didn't hurt that the elites on both sides of the political aisle enjoyed the product.