Hi all, New to this forum and the whole cigar thing. Joined COTMC and had a few questions. I’m quickly realizing that I’m going to fill up this humidor and am going to need a new one. However I had some questions about shipping cigars back from Iraq and am hoping some of you have had some experience. I know you can’t ship back Cubans, but a lot of cigars have the word Cuban on it even though they are made elsewhere. Is this a show stopper at customs? I don’t want to be stuck leaving $100’s in cigars. Also will it keep the humidity for 2-3 months? Anyone got any advice on where to scavenge distilled water (motor pool doesn’t carry any) or should I just buy some 50/50 solution. Thanks in advance for any help, this forum is a great outlet to pass some time over here.

 

Garrett

I wouldn't be surprised if customs seizes them, since they seize toy guns that have real Colt logos on them.

I didn't have any trouble getting my cigars back when I came back. I had them in a "Cigar Jar" in my Seabag, and customs never even checked them out. Although I did fly directly into base too, so I'm not sure, but more than likely they'll only check about 10%.
If your cigars are not cubans then the won't have any right to take them. As long as you can prove that they did not come from cuba, or have some knowledge on where they came from I don't see that you should really have a problem.

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Sarcasm is the body's natural defense against stupidity

I have friends who work in US Customs and they have extensive training in what brands to look for. They know how to spot counterfeit logos on brands so their knowledge is extensive. They know which cigars are Cuban and what labels to look for. i.e. many brands have cigars they sell in the US and still manufacture cigars in Cuba. Customs knows by the design of the label which is which. Do not let them try to steal your sticks! Keep receipts if you got them. Also, you can remove the labels on the ones you are worried about. That is a 50/50 on what they will do then.

Thanks for the responses.  Its good to know these guys actually know a lot about what actually is Cuban. Let the buying continue!  

make some decorative lables and put its a boy/girl on them. you would think that any one with half a heart wouldnt take those away from you, especialy if you have a good sappy story to go with them. but then I have never had to deal with customs before..

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"...And my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear." -Haggai 2:5

I am in Afghanistan right now. I have shipped many cigars from here back to the states. Most of the time, the customs people have no idea what they are looking at, so if they give you trouble just keep insisting they are not Cubans. They will not seize them, so just take the bands off and you can send them that way. Last time I was here I sent an entire un-opened box of R&J back. The bow clearly said "Hecho en Cuba" on it, the customs official even looked at the stamp and let it go anyways. I know they will not say anything if you have them with you in your baggage, even if the bag is searched. Remember, it is legal to bring Cubans back to the US. You can only bring a limited quantity though (Cubans are for sale in just about every duty free shop on the Canada-US boarder).

If you run in to troubles and have more questions feel free to PM me and I can teach you some tricks I use from time to time when I get a stubborn Customs Official.

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GO 'CUSE!!!

ejenne87:

I am in Afghanistan right now. I have shipped many cigars from here back to the states. Most of the time, the customs people have no idea what they are looking at, so if they give you trouble just keep insisting they are not Cubans. They will not seize them, so just take the bands off and you can send them that way. Last time I was here I sent an entire un-opened box of R&J back. The bow clearly said "Hecho en Cuba" on it, the customs official even looked at the stamp and let it go anyways. I know they will not say anything if you have them with you in your baggage, even if the bag is searched. Remember, it is legal to bring Cubans back to the US. You can only bring a limited quantity though (Cubans are for sale in just about every duty free shop on the Canada-US boarder).

If you run in to troubles and have more questions feel free to PM me and I can teach you some tricks I use from time to time when I get a stubborn Customs Official.

I know that you could bring up to 100 cigars out of Cuba without a receipt, but it was my understanding that under the Embargo no American citizen could possess any item from Cuba (Even if that meant you were in another country). I know that Customs isn't fool proof, but I'm under the impression that ANY Cuban cigar cannot come into the US

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In Tim's Beard we TRUST

Chase, the neat thing about distilled water is that you can make your own almost anywhere with not much more than a bit of plastic sheeting. You can set a cup or pan of almost any fluid containing water (including urine) inside the setup and use a second container to collect the distilled water. In a real survival situation, you actually pull the water out of the cooler soil. The directions show this being done in a hole in the ground, but you could even set it up in a cardboard box if need be. http://www.desertusa.com/mag98/dec/stories/water.html or google "solar still".

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Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (and Explosives!) should be a convenience store - not a government agency.

First the easy one. I would just go ahead and purchase solution rather than trying to make your own distilled water or anything. It's the easiest way to go. Now as far as shipping your sticks back. That's fairly easy too. When I came back last year, I just mailed them to myself. The inspectors at the postal facility will look them over most likely but as long as they all have bands and none of them say anything about Cuba, you will be fine. In fact, when I shipped a

Where are you in Iraq? I was at Taji on my last tour and Baqubah before that.

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Ron

ejenne87:

I am in Afghanistan right now. I have shipped many cigars from here back to the states. Most of the time, the customs people have no idea what they are looking at, so if they give you trouble just keep insisting they are not Cubans. They will not seize them, so just take the bands off and you can send them that way. Last time I was here I sent an entire un-opened box of R&J back. The bow clearly said "Hecho en Cuba" on it, the customs official even looked at the stamp and let it go anyways. I know they will not say anything if you have them with you in your baggage, even if the bag is searched. Remember, it is legal to bring Cubans back to the US. You can only bring a limited quantity though (Cubans are for sale in just about every duty free shop on the Canada-US boarder).

If you run in to troubles and have more questions feel free to PM me and I can teach you some tricks I use from time to time when I get a stubborn Customs Official.

Hey Evan

I don't mean to burst a bubble here, but for any US-born citizen it is illegal to purchase, own, or bring into this country anything from Cuba, including cigars. The trade embargo technically extends to the fact that US-born citizens are legally not allowed to buy Cuban cigars anywhere in the world, but obviously nobody is going to enforce that any more than people are going to stop bringing Cubans into the country. I for one am all for trying all cigars, Cubans included (Cohiba... :-D).

The exception to this, however, is citizens that are from Cuba or have family in Cuba may bring a limited quantity of Cuban cigars into the country for personal consumption. Typically this means that if you're bringing in a box, it has to be opened and one or more of them smoked. If you show up with dufflebags filled with sticks (even if you really ARE going to smoke them all lol), they are going to get seized.

Of course, all of this is totally dependent upon US Customs actually catching and/or caring about your sticks, but technically that is the law.

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For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.
2 Timothy 4:3

"I don't mean to burst a bubble here, but for any US-born citizen it is illegal to purchase, own, or bring into this country anything from Cuba, including cigars." - this is what I have understood as well. the cost cap on importing goods is applicable to any country, it has nothing to do with embargo.

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"...And my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear." -Haggai 2:5

On my rotation las year to Camp Taji I did... Changed wrappers to some US brands I had saved. You can send up to 20. You CANNOT ship without bands. Becareful - alot of Cubans moving around the FOBs are fake!