A huge shipment of illegally imported cigarettes was reportedly seized by Southern California Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials when they apprehended two cruise ship passengers last month.
According to a CBP press release, on April 17, officers assigned to the Los Angeles/Long Beach Seaport found around 150,000 cigarettes from a couple arriving from Ensenada, Mexico, spread among 10 pieces of luggage in 749 boxes.
Assuming a low-end selling price of $80 per unit, CBP estimated the seizure, which included but was not limited to 326 cartons of Newport 100s and 210 cartons of Marlboro Golds, to be worth approximately $59,920.
“This is definitely a big bust,” said Jaime Ruiz, who is the Chief of the CBP’s Strategic Media Engagement Branch for the majority of the Western countries. Ruiz described it as “one of the largest we’ve seen at the LA:Long Beach seaport complex.”
The cigarette stash was discovered when the women disembarked at the Long Beach Cruise Ship Terminal and offered themselves for examination.
They could not present permits for the shipment of so much tobacco items, even if they had purchase receipts.
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As stated in the announcement, “Selling illegally imported cigarettes could yield high profits for underground vendors due to the low cost of cigarettes when purchased overseas and the evasion of taxes owed upon import,” stated Africa R. Bell, CBP Port Director of the Los Angeles/Long Beach Seaport.
“This type of scheme not only evades revenue owed to the United States but may be harmful to the American consumer,” Bell went on to say. “CBP officers at our nation’s largest seaport complex remain committed to enforcing our laws and to protect the American public.”
The women might face penalties for breaking import regulations, and the investigation into the incident might go on.
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However, the “immediate consequence,” said Ruiz, “is that now there is a negative record and, by default, they have incurred a significant loss of nearly $60K.”
Ruiz went on to say that the confiscation and destruction of the cigarettes represents that loss.
Cheryl M. Davies, CBP Director of Field Operations in Los Angeles, stated in the announcement that “Travelers who intentionally disregard U.S. importation laws and regulations often pay a high price.”
