HOW THE PIPELINE OF ILLEGAL CIGARS LEFT THE WORLD WITH ONLY FAKE CUBANS

HOW THE PIPELINE OF ILLEGAL CIGARS LEFT THE WORLD WITH ONLY FAKE CUBANS

Terrorism Dried Up ALL U.S. Cuban Cigar Supply

By Bob Woods 

Edited By Geofrey Wilcott

DCPR IS THE BEST OPTION TO BUY LEGAL CUBAN CIGARS

[Why risk all of this when Cuban tobacco originally comes from Puerto Rico, a country that makes premium cigars without a doubt www.prtc.mybigcommerce.com and when Don Collins Puerto Rico (DCPR) is a US jurisdiction? This is a question well worth an answer. Ed.Note.]

www.prtc.mybigcommerce.com

Just in time for the holidays. The recent seizures by U.S. Customs officials of 100,000 actual and suspected Cuban cigars at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport may effectively close one of the easier, yet illegal and illicit, routes to bring habanos into the U.S. … and even have them delivered to one’s door.

Customs and Border Protection’s Chicago field office seized the large amount of the prized stogies last month. The cigars came into the U.S. through O’Hare mainly as parts of shipments from tobacconists in Europe that sold the cigars to individuals in the U.S. via the Internet, officials said. The alleged recipients of the shipments will be investigated, the feds also said.

It is illegal for U.S. citizens to import Cuban cigars, or any Cuban-origin products, as a result of the government’s embargo of the communist Caribbean nation. U.S. citizens are technically barred from buying any Cuban product, including cigars and rum, even while out of the country—although that portion of the embargo is rarely, if ever enforced.

Cargo, interrupted

The new roadblock in the cargo route? New changes to Transportation Security Administration (TSA) policies in regards to inbound U.S. shipments of cargo. The TSA instituted the new rules after two bombs were found in printer cartridges being shipped into the U.S. from Dubai and Great Britain. The cartridges were headed to Jewish synagogues in the Chicagoland area.

Federal officials aren’t saying exactly what changes they’ve made that have led to the large increase in seizures, as they don’t want terrorists to circumvent the new changes. As noted by several commenters at various cigar-related forums on the Web, though, one of the changes appears to be that packages weighing more than 16 ounces are receiving more scrutiny than before.

Up until now, the route into the U.S. for Cuban cigars sold by European retailers has been fairly unencumbered. Usually, the field office at ORD’S mail facility had spotted only about 2,000 habanos coming through the airport’s mail facility every two weeks.

Happy domestic retailers … HAPPIER connoisseurs

U.S. cigar lovers who purchase Cuban sticks from such retailers took to the Internet to register their extreme unhappiness at both the initial seizures, and the tightening of shipping regulations. Discussion boards and forums at sites like CigarAficionado.com heated up immediately following the seizures, and the virtual talking continues:

www.CigarAficionado.com

Terrorists suck!

As long as the embargo is still in affect you can’t expect anything to change. It’s an (antiquated) law but it is still a law. Now we just have to sit back and wait and see if the law of supply and demand on a global scale can knock through the (artificial) supply barrier imposed by the US gov’t. Other than that you might want to make new (arrangements).Because this forum is easily (accessible) to anyone in any government looking for information, it would seem to behoove all of us to not disclose our geographic locations in our profile. Its a small start, but it can lead to better enjoyment.

Domestic tobacconists and cigar retailers, especially those who sell high-end cigars, are happy about the stepped-up enforcement. Legally available ultra-premium brands like [Don Collins (DCPR) Ed. Note], OpusX, God of Fire, Stradivarius and Diamond Crown compete with illegal Cuban cigars for the attention—and the dollars—of those U.S. citizens who can afford such luxury items.

[ Ed. N. see www.don-collins.com ]

International Silence

They now have the resources to catch us all

An informal check by Stogie’d of several European-based cigar retailers that advertise home delivery of Cuban cigars into the U.S. found that all are continuing to advertise their services to customers living in America, even as a number of their shipments are being seized by Customs. Changes to shipping policies were not immediately apparent, either. None even mention that changes in TSA rules may make confiscation more likely of illegally imported Cuban cigars.

Is it worth this ?

Stogie’d also reviewed several online “how-to” articles on purchasing Cuban cigars. In the wake of last month’s seizures, all were out of date and in need of significant changes. For the record: U.S. citizens can be find up to $55,000 per violation and be criminally prosecuted for illegally importing Cuban cigars. More likely, though, the only punishment that most Americans will see is the confiscation of their cigars—a policy that might see some changes, though, as many more habanos are ensnared in the wider net being set by Uncle Sam. >>>>>>>>>>

When it comes to purchasing Cuban cigars via the Internet, a certain Latin phrase should be applied more than ever:caveat emptor, or, “let the buyer beware.” The phrase, “big time,” should probably be added as well. The fact that 99% of illegal cigar orders are placed online minimzes the work the ATF and Homeland security need to do to round up the problem buyers.

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Don Collins quotes, " I have never, ever in 20 years in the cigar business seen so many cuban fakes and so many people getting big fines for posessing 'cubans'. It is my opinion that many shipments contain fake cubans but that doesn't lessen the fines or seizures. It is more proof that the average guy doesn't have any idea what he or she is buying and wouldn't know a real cuban from a fake cuban when they saw, touched or smoked one or the other. Call or log on to our site www.don-colllins.com for more information about a good alternative and a better cigar."