Cigars are being destroyed at the Port of Miami and it appears that US Customs and Border Protection are behind it.
Earlier this week a shipment from Davidoff reached a retailer in New Hampshire. The normal packing tape was replaced with green tape denoting US Customs and Border Protection. This tell tale sign showed evidence that the box of cigars was searched. Upon opening the box many of the cigar boxes inside were open and cigars broken in half.
As the week progressed we wondered if this was FDA related. But the shipment arrived on Monday which means it went through customs at least 5 days prior to the new regulations.
Fast forward to Friday and and a second shipment this time from another manufacturer also from the Dominican Republic saw boxes arrive with the green customs tape replacing the normal packing tape. Inside the boxes and many bundles of cigars were cut in half.
We reached out a broker in Miami to try and get to the bottom of this. He reiterated that this was not FDA related. In fact, he went on to say FDA is approving packages at a record pace at the port of Miami. The broker went on to say that he heard of a drug seizure in the Dominican Republic with the drugs being sent with tobacco.
Our source believed that this was a search for contraband tied into the seizure he heard about in the Dominican Republic. He went on to tell us a story of how in the 1970s during the cocaine epidemic, many cigars had drills put to them looking for drugs.
The Cigar Authority will stay on this story and update it as necessary.
