Any interesting border crossing/port of entry stories?

[bcla]

*I think that nowadays you can bring one or two Cuban cigars into the U.S. You sure as heck couldn't in 1996.

It was always legal if coming from Cuba, but there was a dollar amount limit for everything brought from there. Might have been $400. The hard part was getting a Treasury permit to visit as a US citizen. It was supposed to be for a cultural exchange or as a reporter.

I visited Vancouver (BC) in the late 80s and stayed at a investment condo owned by a family friend. It wasn't stocked with a whole lot, but someone left a box of Cuban cigars in the kitchen. Cuban cigars used to be confiscated a lot from Canada to the US. I think Frasier had an episode where a box of Cuban cigars was a gift from a border agent who confiscated them.

There was a limit a few years ago, but now there's no limit. You can get the duty free limit, and pay duties on anything over the limit. I don't smoke, but on my last trip to BC I probably should have picked up some as gifts.

 

[DisMom829]

I tried to cross the Texas\Mexico border in November 2016 to go shopping with just my DD and was denied. I was driving a new car with paper plates (Lincoln SUV), had her birth certificate, her passport, my passport and some cash to do some day shopping. My DH was at the deer lease hunting. We were denied crossing, it looked like I was "fleeing" with my daughter. Most bizarre thing I have ever heard of.