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Traveling In The US With Cubans

Mike_D

Mike_D

New Member
Joined
Dec 10, 2008
Messages
52
I am taking a trip from CT to FL this weekend. I have my travel humi packed to the gills with delicious smokes...including ones from the forbidden island. I am salvating now thinking of them.

Can the TSA confiscate the cuban cigars? I am sure with my luck they will search the case.

Should I play it safe & take the bands off?

I want to bring them in my carry on...have you ever seen what they do to checked luggage?

Any experience with this matter is appreciated.
 
I've gone through airport security half a dozen times with my traveldor in my carry on, and no one has EVER opened it (or even my bag) to have a look . . . even very shortly after 9/11.

However, these flights were all within Texas, not on the Eastern Seaboard. YMMV.

~Boar
 
I have traveled abroad many times with them. I put other bands on them so there is no questions asked. I have only had them check me once and that was in the Puerto Plata airport in the Dominican Republic. But, better safe than sorry I say.
 
Just wrap the travel humi in some shirts and pants. They should survive the manhandling. Besides, they don't allow cigar smoking during the flight
 
I travel all the time with my travel humidor and never a question asked. They won't bother you.
 
I've never had 'em searched, but I guarantee that they'll be taken if you end up getting searched by someone who knows what they are. Low odds of that, though...
 
You probably won't have an issue if you're traveling domestically. If you're concerned, pulling the bands off eliminates all worry.
 
I just returned from another country and I mailed them to myself from there.

This could be done within the states as well.
 
It is unlikely the TSA knew what they were if they looked at them; usually its Customs that are trained to spot the cigars. I also don't know if they could technically seize them, because you are not importing them into the U.S. But, if you are concerned, do like the others have said and take the bands off.
 
Mike33 said:
It is unlikely the TSA knew what they were if they looked at them; usually its Customs that are trained to spot the cigars. I also don't know if they could technically seize them, because you are not importing them into the U.S. But, if you are concerned, do like the others have said and take the bands off.
Click to expand...

I always thought it as completely legal to poses them, just illegal to purchase/ import.

Anyone know for sure?
 
I have done quite a bit of flying over the years. Always take a travel humi with me. NEVER had a problem getting through tyhe TSA security check. They did open the humi once, but I had the ISOMs in the bottom and they really didn't look closely at the cigars anyway.

The way the law is written, you, as an American citizen, are in violation if you posses a Cuban cigar ANYWHERE in the world.

Pretty ridiculous.
 
BigJake6904 said:
Mike33 said:
It is unlikely the TSA knew what they were if they looked at them; usually its Customs that are trained to spot the cigars. I also don't know if they could technically seize them, because you are not importing them into the U.S. But, if you are concerned, do like the others have said and take the bands off.
Click to expand...

I always thought it as completely legal to poses them, just illegal to purchase/ import.

Anyone know for sure?
Click to expand...

It is illegal to posses them anywhere as LouieD stated. See this thread here.

I was just wondering if the TSA had authority to seize them as that is something usually left to Customs.
 
Mike33 said:
BigJake6904 said:
Mike33 said:
It is unlikely the TSA knew what they were if they looked at them; usually its Customs that are trained to spot the cigars. I also don't know if they could technically seize them, because you are not importing them into the U.S. But, if you are concerned, do like the others have said and take the bands off.
Click to expand...

I always thought it as completely legal to poses them, just illegal to purchase/ import.

Anyone know for sure?
Click to expand...

It is illegal to posses them anywhere as LouieD stated. See this thread here.

I was just wondering if the TSA had authority to seize them as that is something usually left to Customs.
Click to expand...

I am on the road all the time and bring my travel humi with me. Domestically there should be no issues as long as you don't carry a knife inside the humi they won't even open it.

I left my travel humi behind as I went through security at LAX. Sat at the gate a good solid 30 minutes befroe I realized I'd left it behind. When I got to security and asked about them they said "oh, the one with the cigars?"

I have never had them open it other than that one time. They are looking for other "devices" like shampoo, toothpaste, too large a makeup assortment, shaving gel/cream, etc. :sign:
 
I was almost strip searched traveling from LA to DC a few years back. Had to go into this room and take almost everything off. I never knew I looked so threatening. If I were you, I'd remove any ISOM bands just to be safe - I have that kind of weird luck though.
 
i just recently flew from ny to vegas and back with isom and no problem they even opened it once just to look at the cutter. once they saw it was a cutter they let it all go through no questions asked. If you are worried do as the others said take the bands off or put them at the bottom of the stack.
 
I fly with my cigars, intact, all the time with no problems. TSA doesn't care where your cigars are from, and the employees are not given bonuses for being go-getters, all they want to know is if you have any banned items (liquids, etc). You can unband them because then there is nothing they can do, but only if you're really paranoid.
 
The Title of this thread scares me
And so does the amount of posts you have

Keep coming back :whistling:
 
It is rare but I know people that have had their Havanas confiscated by TSA. It's not proper or within their authority but what are you gonna do? I put blank bands over the Havana bands. Had my traveldors opened a few times without problems.
 
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