Customs

Welcome fellow Newbie.

Look sharp and when your turn comes to push the big button, pray for the green light. I take lots of similar items into Loreto by air about every six weeks and have yet to be hassled.

If you do get the red light...... smile, be polite, and agree to whatever they say. But I wouldn't go out of my way to declare anything that costs less than say, $50.00. Plead ignorance if the Aduanero reprimands you.

Although I'm a gringa, I do speak Spanish fluently, which has saved my Reggiano Parmesan cheese from seizure more than once.

We just came back from L.A. with a faucet in our luggage. Out of all the baggage on the entire flight,m a total of 10 bags went missing, we were lucky to only lost one.
Aeromexico was so upset about all the lost luggage, that no one who was missing a bag had to pass through customs. So you could say we all got the green light. They delivered our missing suitcase with the faucet in it three days later.

Loretana - You sound like you're pretty good at this 'talk' stuff.
I have promised to bring goodies to some folks in Mulege. What do you suggest I say if customs does find the several pounds of frozen dungeoness crab in my luggage?
And please don't tell me to say "bon apetite".

more like butter or c-cktale sauce?? and invite him over for dinner

Natalie Ann,

Carlos, the Fitosanitaria Officer at the Loreto Airport is a really nice man. He was who Customs sent me over to when they looked in my hand carry and saw it was full of fresh fettuccine pasta and butter and parmesan cheese.

I tried to be as charming as possible and chat with him about Italian food and he lost his interest in seizing it.

But he had his game face on about three minutes earlier when he sternly told me "este comida no pasa". That red light is a nuisance.

Please don't take this the wrong way, but when you warm up to Mexican men in authority and look them in the eyes and kind of invade their body zone a little bit their "latino-ness" kicks in and they soften right up!

The crab, hey...I would give it a shot! I'm thinking Crab Fettuccine Alfredo.

I think you can talk them into a $100 exemption?
Or you can just declare and pay the duty.
Or you can buy Mexican stuff and build a Mexican house.
We brought some stuff by car, declared it and they just waved us through.

Food can be tough, though. I lost a pound of Montana buffalo jerky at the Zihuatenejo airport. I had the green light and was heading out the door, but an informant tipped them off.

Ah Loretana, so all I gotta do is make nice? Piece 'a cake. Thank you.

[Edited on 7-14-2006 by Natalie Ann]