Leaving Cuba , bags with sticks

[Viva Vegas]

Has anyone ever had cigars taken out of your checked luggage? I am putting all my cigars with out invoice or receipts in my checked bag , and all others with paper work in carry on. I know the usa don't care about invoices just total value but cuba does care. I my gonna have about 100 with out paper work in checked bag. Thanks 

[Puros Y Vino]

Yes.  I had about 150 custom rolls in my checked luggage and all my boxes with Facturas in my carry on. I got called to the security desk.  Two agents asked me a few questions about the custom rolls.  Background, etc.  One checked my Facturas against the boxes I had.  In all, they liked my answers and helped me pack up my customs again. This was back in 2012 though and I was heading back to Canada, not the US.  Keep those Facturas on you as you head to the plane. 

[Bagman]

You are better off splitting the cigars without a fractura between your carry on and checked.  It is sort of a sneaky way to get more thru.  You will get questioned when going thru security and allowed a certain amount thru.  Later, you will get called overhead (pay attention for you name call) to head downstairs where they will go thru your checked luggage in front of you.  Again you will be allowed a certain amount of cigars without a fractura.  If you put all your cigars without a fractura into a single bag, your chance of losing cigars is much higher than if you separate them.

[Habana Mike]

We take 3 checked and 2 carryons each when we go so I can spread the sticks around. Couple of the checked bags are full of goods on the way down for our Cuban friends and family.

Leaves plenty of room for rum and cigars on the return. Take the boxes in carryon, customs in checked bags.

Some rollers will provide you with Caracol receipts for customs. That helped me out large one time when they looked hard.

If you get called to Aduana, leave your carryons behind while they search the checked bags. All good.

[chris12381]

Here's my suggestion.  If you are over the 24 cigar unbanded limit and are not going to be carrying them on, I'd go downstairs and hang out by the office and wait for them to check your bag.  Sometimes it can be hard to hear them call your name.  

It has gotten a lot tougher to get custom rolled through without problems.  

Now, on to CBP. I am not an attorney.  I just read the law and have been following this closely.

Things have gotten interesting.  The law says 100 cigars or $800 duty free.  Above that, you are supposed to pay duty.  Some agents have been citing a law that says something else that doesn't apply, then confiscating.  Problem is, there's no legal basis for them to do that.  You're allowed to import for personal use and pay duty above a certain limit.  Confiscation would mean it's illegal OR you lied about the amount you declared or value. 

So, If anyone is faced with this situation and the customs agent and supervisor are clearly wrong, you need to calmly and politely request a detainment and request that they put the cigars in a plastic evidence bag. You can fight it in the fines and penalties office where those people understand the laws.  You will presented with a confiscation form. They will ask you to sign it. Read it but DO NOT SIGN IT.  Signing it will result in the destruction of the cigars and no forfeiture case will be opened. After you leave, you can contact the fines and penalties office for the city you cleared Customs in. 

Again, I'm not an attorney.  I just have been following this closely and have heard from people who had to go this route to get reunited with their cigars. So, declare what you bring in.  If you lie, you can have your stuff confiscated.  I'd rather pay the $. 04 per cigar any day than risk confiscation.  Be polite, be calm and know the above. 

[bmf30180]

I had a couple hundred customs in my checked bag on my return in early December with 5 bottles of rum and a couple bags of coffee.  I made the last minute call in the airport to have my bag wrapped in that blue plastic just inside the airport, hoping they would scan the bag, but not want to have to re-wrap the bag (at their expense???) and let it slide.  Not sure if it made a difference or not.  But, I wasn't called and I was somewhat confident that my bag would not have been rummaged thru.

[amberleaf]

It's also worth having a few CUCs in your pocket should you need to grease some palms. Yes it's wrong but that's the way a lot of things work in Cuba and it's a small price to pay to avoid hassle and potentially losing your haul.

[La_Tigre]

Same as others said but...triple ziploc the custom rolls and then wrap them in clothes. Bring all of your boxes with facturas through carry on. They will be so engrossed in playing the factura  “match game” with the boxes that they will overlook the custom roll bundles. Also they may downright give up if you have too many facturas and blaze you on through.

***Edited for clarification*** I’ve been through numerous times the past year. Not once has customs looked at or found the custom rolls. They yell “cigars” on x-ray, I hand them a stack of facturas from buying single boxes at multiple LCDH stores and 90% of the time am met with wide eyes followed by being waved through.