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Cubans and non-cubans

Yeah I guess they would be the correct answer but in reality I do believe that it is shared effort of both of them and includes the Treasury dept and used to have the U.S Marshall's service as the arresting agency but dont know if they still do that.
 
Being here in southern Iraq, there are "Cuban" cigars available from the local vendors.

I say that with parentheses because they are some of the laziest fakes I've ever seen. I'm talking photocopied bands from a scanner running low on ink, lol. I've tried to warn my joes to stay away from 'em, but they still get suckered in. And price-wise, they still charge you like it's a real Cohiba you're buying.

The only ones I think might even be legit are the boxes of minis and puritos (since they're cheap and involve having to counterfeit bands, cardboard packs, tax stamps, and cellophane...so probably not worth it to fake).

Whether genuine or counterfeit, they're still verboten in the US.

And for someone to suggest JDriver could just not confiscate them and should give those poor troops a break.....would you like to risk your career just so some jackass whose been told repeatedly by his command what he can and can't bring out of theatre can sneak in some counterfeit Cohibas? It's not like JDriver wrote the damn rules, but he sure as hell has to enforce them. I'd love it if I could find some real cigars and bring them back, but I'm not willing to make any NCO get an Article 15 over it.

One weird thing I heard from a customs brief: Biddies (little cigarillos from India and Pakistan...smell like dope when you burn them and taste like crap) are a US Customs no-no because they're made with child labor.
 
Black Plague said:
One weird thing I heard from a customs brief: Biddies (little cigarillos from India and Pakistan...smell like dope when you burn them and taste like crap) are a US Customs no-no because they're made with child labor.
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That is odd. You'd think if that was the case, pretty much every single imported item would have been banned by now.
 
tomthirtysix said:
Black Plague said:
One weird thing I heard from a customs brief: Biddies (little cigarillos from India and Pakistan...smell like dope when you burn them and taste like crap) are a US Customs no-no because they're made with child labor.
Click to expand...

That is odd. You'd think if that was the case, pretty much every single imported item would have been banned by now.
Click to expand...

Haha, my first though was, "But I can still buy Nikes in the US? WTF?" :laugh:
 
tomthirtysix said:
Black Plague said:
One weird thing I heard from a customs brief: Biddies (little cigarillos from India and Pakistan...smell like dope when you burn them and taste like crap) are a US Customs no-no because they're made with child labor.
Click to expand...

That is odd. You'd think if that was the case, pretty much every single imported item would have been banned by now.
Click to expand...
That's true, any cigarettes made through child labor are to be confiscated, that's a US customs rule as well as NAVY Customs. Kinda difficult to monitor though unless your well knowledged in brands. As for most cigars being fake, I can usually tell the difference, and believe it or not, a fair number we take are real. on top of being real, their also real DRY. I guess to someone who is unfamiliar with what condition a good cigar should be in, a cigar is a cigar and they will purchase them regardless. We do confiscate some high end Cubans ever so often, mostly from officers, pulled a sealed box of rather nice Montecristos just the other day actually.
 
JDriver77 said:
MoeCizlak said:
KChiefsfan, I'm not sure where you are getting your info, but that is patently false.

Cigars made in Cuba will have "Habana" and sometimes "Cuba" on the band. This is a pretty good reference to check out the bands of various lines coming out of Cuba. A cigar touting "Cuban seed" is not illegal to purchase by Americans. I guess I should say not illegal for citizens, I'm not sure if the military people are under the same constraints but I would assume you are. Many legal cigars tout "Cuban seed" in order to get you to believe they are like Cuban cigars. There is nothing illegal about that. Altadis USA owns the domestic name on some older, Cuban brands such as Saint Luis Rey, Montecristo, H. Upmann, Romeo Y Julietta and Trinidad. They are all perfectly legal to purchase and possess. I know the boxes of these legal cigars say "Dominican Republic" on them but I'm not sure if the country of origin appears on the band of the cigar as well or not. The best way to distinguish would be that Cuban cigars will have "Habana" on the band, legal cigars will not.

Question for you, what is your policy when you come across an unbanded cigar?
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Yes, the term of "Habana" was confusing because it can be found on both Cubans and legal cigars made with grown Cuban seed tobacco. I understand the legality of "cuban seed" cigars as I have quite a few in my humidor. That aside, that chart you linked me to will become excellent source material, thankyou very much for that. And to answer your question, any unbanded cigars are automatically confiscated, as there is really no way to tell what they are.
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So, guilty until proven innocent. Good old Uncle Sugar.,
 
broblues said:
JDriver77 said:
MoeCizlak said:
KChiefsfan, I'm not sure where you are getting your info, but that is patently false.

Cigars made in Cuba will have "Habana" and sometimes "Cuba" on the band. This is a pretty good reference to check out the bands of various lines coming out of Cuba. A cigar touting "Cuban seed" is not illegal to purchase by Americans. I guess I should say not illegal for citizens, I'm not sure if the military people are under the same constraints but I would assume you are. Many legal cigars tout "Cuban seed" in order to get you to believe they are like Cuban cigars. There is nothing illegal about that. Altadis USA owns the domestic name on some older, Cuban brands such as Saint Luis Rey, Montecristo, H. Upmann, Romeo Y Julietta and Trinidad. They are all perfectly legal to purchase and possess. I know the boxes of these legal cigars say "Dominican Republic" on them but I'm not sure if the country of origin appears on the band of the cigar as well or not. The best way to distinguish would be that Cuban cigars will have "Habana" on the band, legal cigars will not.

Question for you, what is your policy when you come across an unbanded cigar?
Click to expand...

Yes, the term of "Habana" was confusing because it can be found on both Cubans and legal cigars made with grown Cuban seed tobacco. I understand the legality of "cuban seed" cigars as I have quite a few in my humidor. That aside, that chart you linked me to will become excellent source material, thankyou very much for that. And to answer your question, any unbanded cigars are automatically confiscated, as there is really no way to tell what they are.
Click to expand...
So, guilty until proven innocent. Good old Uncle Sugar.,
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Not True. They are guilty of breaking a rule that they are made fully aware of. They are told that they can not bring Cuban cigars home, and they are also told they can not bring unbanded cigars home as well. If they choose to take the bands off their cigars and make a donation to the Customs team, then that is 100% their choice.

Really, I smile every time you guys try to stick up for the soldiers, make sure to stick up for them when they return to the States, and the 19 year old returning hero gets drunk and slams his brand new car into a mini van returning from a pee-wee soccer game. I mean if you support them breaking one Law, you will support them breaking all of them right?

A bit extreme I know, but come on, all of us Soldiers understand and know and are aware of the rules we have to follow, and some of us soldiers are tasked to enforce those rules, it is just how it works...

Tim
 
No, I completely understand the rules you must follow. Myself and many more BOTLs also had to follow them. Not blaming the inspecting parties, just wishing such a situation wasn't necessary. Such a small luxury that causes so much stink. When I came home from Viet Nam, every time any Viet Nam veteran got in trouble, the papers always attached "a Viet Nam vet" to the offending party's name for drama's sake, like we were all crazies. It pissed me off to the point of sending a letter to the editor. I love America and am proud to be a member if its finest fraternity. Every job has it's own set of perks. I truly wish that was one of yours!
 
Trust me, we do too....

Tim
 
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