Warning: Transit via Mexico

[chris12381]

Word of warning:

 

I traveled on Mexicana from San Francisco November 2016 to Havana through Guadalajara and Cancun. If you transit via Mexico, Mexican importation rules will apply to you. 25 cigars per person. 1.5 liters of alcohol. Anything beyond that and you will pay 200% duty. Luckily, I gave most of my haul to my parents who returned via Miami and I spread my boxes out among my 3 other fellow travelers. Now, this was 3 days after the US presidential election...but all US passport holders were pulled out of the transit line, put into a holding area and had our bags searched to confirm our declared amounts matched our found amounts. My girlfriend had 5 Guantanamera cigars she forgot my friend gave her as a gift and she was forced to pay $20 duty. There were several people who were facing bills in the hundreds of dollars and the Mexican customs officials were not allowing them to abandon their obviously fake $40 boxes of CoRos to avoid the bill. Those who were refusing to pay were told they could expect to remain "in transit" until they paid since the Mexican authorities had their passports.

 

All US passport holders missed their connections. So, beyond the crazy limits on tobacco, Mexican customs seemed to really have it in for US passport holders when we passed through. I'd avoid it like the plague.

 

By the way, I paid the duty with my credit card and disputed it with my bank when I got home. ️

 

 

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[Pixa]

This is kind of standard world wide when transiting through another country there rules apply, something I have always been wary of when transiting through US with Cuban cigars in the past

[Fuzz]

Not in Aus. If you are only transiting and not going through Customs (ie not leaving the airport), then you're fine. Only when you pass Immigration and Customs will you have to pay duty.

[Corylax18]

Wow, thats unfortunate. Can I ask why you connected in Guadalajara AND Cancun? I Flew Denver, Cancun, Havana in  November and my experience could not have been more different than this. 

I had over a hundred cigars in my checked bag, about the same amount in my carry on and 35 or so in my backpack, plus 7 liters of rum. They thought a souvenir baseball I picked up looked like fruit on the Xray, so they pulled me to the side and pulled it out of my bag. When they saw the cigars in my backpack they asked "Cuanto" I said 25, they tossed the ball back to me and I proceeded on my way. 

This was in Cancun on November 17th, so a week or so later than you. I also flew different airlines, so nothing on my Cancun to Denver return papers said anything about Cuba. I am assuming that helped. Its hard to argue that we don't deserve it......  

[amaxp81]

Glad I have a direct from US... whew.

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[Ken Gargett]

i had a massive run-in with the imbeciles at mexican customs trying to transit. i'd probably been through a dozen times without a problem but not thaat last one. they were appalling.

eventually i lost it and told some idiot woman who was supposedly in charge that they would be better off just handing the country to the drug cartels as they'd be far more competent and far less corrupt. she didn't blink. a bit later, talking to some poms who were having just as much trouble if not more, they asked what was going on and i said the entire thing was ridiculous. the woman heard this and went nuts and threatened to have me locked up.

so being compared to corrupt drug lords didn't bother her but being called ridiculous sent her into a frenzy.

i hate the place and if i never see it again, too soon.

[Stogeyfish]

2 hours ago, Ken Gargett said:

i hate the place and if i never see it again, too soon.

Amen

[chris12381]

Wow, thats unfortunate. Can I ask why you connected in Guadalajara AND Cancun?

There's no direct SFO - CUN on Aeromexico. Have to connect via GDL or MEX.

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[uscmd310]

I've heard horror stories transiting through Mexico. That it was harder to get through Mexican customs than Cuban customs. In Cuba, Out of 30 guys at partagas festival, 6 got pulled by Cuban customs. 4 talked their way out of confiscations. 1 or 2 got cigars taken away. But those going through Mexico, everyone got pulled and some paid thousands in duty.

[JohnnyO]

The trick is you have to go to the customs office by the x-ray machines and declare you are in transit. A form will be filled out with your passport and flight information. At check-in you need to notify the airline reps that you have cigars or rum at the customs office. That is so that the airline can let them know you are checked in. Show them the receipt. As you are waiting for your flight you must show the airline rep again the form and that you would like your cigars. A rep from customs will bring your cigars, you sign the form and give it to him. No $$$ involved. As time was running out, on more than one occasion I had to go back through immigration in order to get to that customs office and say to them that my flight is boarding and sure would like my cigars. You see they're not in a hurry to help you out. Also, on many occasions in that customs office they gave me a multitude of excuses as to why the form couldn't be filled out. So if your Mexican-Spanish is not up to par they'll run circles around you all day. They will do their best so that you leave the cigars. John

[ShadowPeo]

I had issues when I was coming back last year. 1 Box per person, made me pay 600 odd Peso's so about 40USD in the end. Next time, I am just going to go through the US or Canada

[Sigaar]

I stay out of Mexico...period.