Cigars Are Hot, But These May Be a Little Too Hot
April 26, 2011
In the past year, officials have seized more than 8,000 Cuban cigars in six different instances in the U.S. The activity is about triple that of a normal year, says Michaele Hatch, spokesman for the U.S. Customs Service in Miami. Until now, ``if we had two seizures a year, that was a lot,'' says Mr. Hatch. ``But the past year has been more active. Anybody who's anybody seems to be sucking on a cigar.'' Because of a U.S. embargo on Cuban products, Cuban cigars are banned from being brought into the states in large quantities (individuals who legally visit Cuba are allowed to bring back a small amount). But the cigars, considered among the best smokes in the world, are in high demand by a growing number of cigar lovers, and that's firing up the criminal activity. Last week, officials made what they believe is the largest seizure ever of illegal Cuban cigars. Customs agents and Coast Guard officials patrolling international waters stopped a powerboat near Bimini that was headed toward Broward County. On the boat, officials say, they found 122 boxes of the rolled leaves valued at as much as $100,000. Individually, some of the cigars had a value of up to $45. Key West has seen its share of contraband action. In the past year, three seizures of Cuban cigars have taken place there. Outside Florida, two seizures were made in Arizona. But it isn't just the genuine article that's keeping agents busy. Officials say they are seeing a growing number of counterfeit Cuban cigars. Although counterfeiting doesn't necessarily violate customs laws, officials say they can prosecute some of the cases. And if the counterfeit cigars are packaged inside real Cuban cigar boxes, ``we're going to want to know where the boxes came from,'' says Mr. Hatch. -- Jacquelyne Wicker
