BajaNomad - Iflyfish busted in Tecate

Iflyfish busted in Tecate

Iflyfish - 1-27-2011 at 06:30 PM

Yup, you got it right. Old Flyguy got busted driving into the US in Tecate.
Here is what happened, true story.
So Flyguy pulls up in line with the rest of the folks after going thru the document check.
Now I must tell you that I am fond of Lettuce, Bacon and Tomato Sandwiches, and particularly love Mexican Tocino!

So they now have this sniffer truck that drives past your parked vehicle....yup, they pull the flyguy out of line and say "is the bacon in the refrigerator?" Well, you could have knocked me over with a feather. "Yup" I says and we go into the rig to examine the contents of the frig. There is my zip locked baggie with my cooked bacon in it. And "whoops, what about those limes?"

After profuse apologies for my smuggling I inquired "why is bacon, actually cooked bacon in a zip lock bag considered contriband?" The answer "Swine Flu", yup, FEAR of Swine Flue!! My jaw about hit the floor on that one, "You're kidding" says I, still flomoxed by my newfound criminal behavior. Not good to say "You've got to be kidding" or something of that nature to these guys. They DO NOT KID!

He told me that this time they were going to wave the $300 fine for my smuggling in the main ingrediant for my BLT.

So my advice to you is eat those good BLT's before you hit the border.

I am glad I refrained from asking if I had to turn in frozen chicken, Avian Flu, but discression being the better part of valor, I passed.

Iflyfishfeloniously

Amazing

bajaguy - 1-27-2011 at 06:34 PM

That they can sniff out bacon in a zip lock bag INSIDE a refrigerator but have difficulty finding drugs, illegal aliens or money crossing north..........

DENNIS - 1-27-2011 at 06:40 PM

Hey Terry...check your email.....please.

bajaguy - 1-27-2011 at 06:45 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by DENNIS
Hey Terry...check your email.....please.

10-4, 2150

captkw - 1-27-2011 at 06:55 PM

HELL, now im really worreid about returning to the land of the fee :lol:

longlegsinlapaz - 1-27-2011 at 07:07 PM

That'll learn ya to cross AFTER lunch!

On second thought, it might be more embarrassing to be cited for bacon breath! :lol:

But on the upside, it's a good thing they didn't ask where you were hiding the yellow jingle shells! :biggrin:

[Edited on 1-28-2011 by longlegsinlapaz]

bajacalifornian - 1-27-2011 at 11:03 PM

After a nuclear medicine procedure, I crossed South with stuff to declare. Mexico turned me around to go through Otay. On re-entry, I was escorted to secondary . . . because I was friggin' radioactive.

[Edited on 1-28-2011 by bajacalifornian]

David K - 1-27-2011 at 11:16 PM

Any pork product, even in American package (if opened, like Oscar Meyer ham slices) cannot be brought back north! Raw chicken and eggs are also taboo.

Limes (sour limes) are perfectly fine... and I was directed to Secondary in Tecate once because I declared them... The officer didn't know what was okay or not!!! He said, well a lime is like an orange and those wren't permitted... In secondary, the ag agent walked over, saw the paper on my windshield, said LIMES??... and then sent me on my way... with my limes.

Now, we don't bring anything back just because of the agents who don't even have the list memorized or a copy with them!

Here is the list given to me in 2002 when they took my ham away:

Dog Food!

LaTijereta - 1-28-2011 at 08:56 AM

Was stopped at Tecate, with "packaged -un-opened" (canned or bags) American dog food being brought back from our trip was prohibited..
Best to donate it to your neighbor's dog when leaving to come NOB...

[Edited on 1-28-2011 by LaTijereta]

woody with a view - 1-28-2011 at 09:13 AM

did you ever get a sense that you were "different" than every other traveler next time you crossed? like they put an asterisk by your name in the computer....

krafty - 1-28-2011 at 09:33 AM

Guy we met in GN was fined $175.00 for having packaged freeze dried soup in his truck going nob......and now he is sent to secondary everytime he crosses

captkw - 1-28-2011 at 09:57 AM

wow' freeze dried soup,that's crazy....I keep a week's worth of freeze dried camping meal's with me..just in case of any thing go's wrong, earhquake,bridge out,snowstorm, (still waiting for that down here) and Im positive 1 of them must have pork and chicken in them..but they are stashed rather well....when I do head north,in a month or so, will be the first time in at least 20 yrs without a dog,which makes a hell of a differince at check's and the border...the custem's folk's are laughing so hard at my dog (wearing sunglasses) that they alway's ask what I have to declare just wave me through!!! another reason to rescue a baja dog!!!

Von - 1-28-2011 at 10:07 AM

Theyre on CRACK! Sometimes these laws are so STUPID!

DianaT - 1-28-2011 at 10:14 AM

Hey, EVERYONE knows that Swine Flu hides in cooked bacon---it is its favorite hiding spot. :biggrin:

At times it is difficult to not make some remarks, but sure glad you held back on the Chicken and Avian Flu. Could have been real ugly. :yes:

wessongroup - 1-28-2011 at 10:19 AM

My dog goes for Bacon first too ...

fishabductor - 1-28-2011 at 10:26 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by captkw
HELL, now im really worreid about returning to the land of the fee :lol:

I have a t-shirt that says

"Land of the Free What?"

Iflyfish - 1-28-2011 at 10:48 AM

The machine that they use is a small truck with a "sniffer" in it that monitors the air. They probably have an xray in there too. Blew me away that they could tell where my pork was....that doesn't sound right. Anyway they were courteous given the circumstances. I am now probably on the terrorist list. Guess I'll need to deep fat fry my bacon before smuggling it from now on.

Iflyfishinwonder

cabo3100 - 1-28-2011 at 11:11 AM

I was stopped with whale bones once wonder why????

bkbend - 1-28-2011 at 11:35 AM

I'm an "*" (asterisk) guy, routinely get to waste time in secondary. The official at the gate writes something on the slip that goes under the wiper blade and the last two times the folks in secondary couldn't figure out what the note meant and why I was there. As with DK, they've let me pass with limes. For some reason I still had them -- usually hand all the contraband out to the folks hanging out along the line.

David K - 1-28-2011 at 11:57 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by cabo3100
I was stopped with whale bones once wonder why????

They want to stop the killing of whales for the decorative bone market? :lol:

Bajahowodd - 1-28-2011 at 12:20 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by David K
Any pork product, even in American package (if opened, like Oscar Meyer ham slices) cannot be brought back north! Raw chicken and eggs are also taboo.

Limes (sour limes) are perfectly fine... and I was directed to Secondary in Tecate once because I declared them... The officer didn't know what was okay or not!!! He said, well a lime is like an orange and those wren't permitted... In secondary, the ag agent walked over, saw the paper on my windshield, said LIMES??... and then sent me on my way... with my limes.

Now, we don't bring anything back just because of the agents who don't even have the list memorized or a copy with them!

Here is the list given to me in 2002 when they took my ham away:

Anyone know exactly what the "certain restrictions" are on okra? :lol:

wessongroup - 1-28-2011 at 12:32 PM

phytosanitary certificate required... would require "fumigation" for Pink Bollworm concern...

http://law.justia.com/us/cfr/title07/7-5.1.1.1.6.11.54.20.ht...

What is the law regarding Dog Treats?

Marla Daily - 1-28-2011 at 12:53 PM

Our agriculture inspector in Loreto (who inspects passenger luggage on incoming flights) confiscated several packages of leather bones, still sealed in the plastic, I had bought at Trader Joes in the US. He said they were prohibited because they were beef products, this despite the fact that they are cooked and twisted into shape during their manufacture. (Of course I then asked about all the leather belts and shoes and purses people were wearing.) No dice!

Last month a friend flew in by private plane with several unopened boxes of Milk Bones. They were all confiscated by the same guy and "incinerated" so we were told.

Anyone know the agriculture law as it pertains to these items?

[Edited on 1-28-2011 by Marla Daily]

DENNIS - 1-28-2011 at 01:03 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by bkbend
The official at the gate writes something on the slip that goes under the wiper blade and the last two times the folks in secondary couldn't figure out what the note meant and why I was there.

That's been their game forever. Good cop...bad cop. The secondary guy will ask you why the gate guy sent you over there and shake his head in full understanding of your puzzlement when you say you don't know. I think it's their way to see if you're nervous. I know that's why they ask you stooopid questions like where were you born etc., just to see how quick and clean you are with your reply. If you had a thousand kilos of weed in your spare tire, you may have a tendency to search for your answer.

BMG - 1-28-2011 at 01:09 PM

Pork products can be very dangerous in the hands of the untrained public.

wessongroup - 1-28-2011 at 01:14 PM

Not sure what play book.. your Ag Inspector would be using in Loreto..

Would imagine there is going to be some strange calls ... if they had been in a can, there may have not been any concern... as the processing of "canned" products may alleviate most concerns..

Just a guess.. on Milk Bones ... by product of bone marrow... what bone marrow...

Conservative call... and one that may be based on the local economy's needs for sale of same.. imho

DENNIS - 1-28-2011 at 01:21 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by wessongroup
Not sure what play book.. your Ag Inspector would be using in Loreto..

I think it's the same book they use at the border, Wiley. No pet food.
The regulation may have roots in something biological, but after so many times interacting with some of these Neanderthals, I'm sure they eat it.....probably when they go on break.

bkbend - 1-28-2011 at 04:38 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by DENNIS

Quote:

I must have flunked their test. Last trip they ran the dog into the bed of the pickup, guess he didn't sniff that spare tire underneath. I'm not sure how anyone can give a civil answer after spending two hours waiting in line...

DENNIS - 1-28-2011 at 04:43 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by bkbend
I'm not sure how anyone can give a civil answer after spending two hours waiting in line...

Some of them thrive on that. They're no longer there to be efficient. They're only there to be mean...and the paycheck.

BajaBruno - 1-28-2011 at 09:52 PM

If you get the automatic trip to secondary before they even have a chance to scan your passport, it is because some wonderful border person attached a nasty note to your license plate number.

The simple solution is to just visit DMV and get new plates. To the border folks, you are now a new shiny penny, waiting to pee off the next surly border person. I have gone through several sets of license plates, and each one was like being reborn...for a while.

Good to know about the pork prejudice. I was very close to bringing back a whole Serrano ham the last time I left La Paz. Losing that would have been tough on me.

BajaRat - 1-28-2011 at 10:00 PM

"Guess I'll need to deep fat fry my bacon before smuggling it from now on".
Nice, thought that would work too. Oh how wrong we were when it came to the eagle eye of the Tecate migra. It was a Saturday afternoon, we had just finished our barbacoa and spotted a pig in a pot. Fresh carnitas and pork fat with skin attached are high on my Saturday priorities. I foolishly thought they would make great snacks while waiting in the long border line. There was no line, we came over the hill and drove right up second in line. It was our lucky day! The customs agent was very nice and then his smile faded away. He stared at the center console and asked what was in the bag. As I began explaining he quietly slipped on rubber gloves, leaned towards the open window and asked " Are you gonna eat all that ". I naively thought he was hungry and going to tax my snack so I offered him some. Not at all what he was thinking so off to secondary we went. No fines just admonishment. That was last fall so we probably just joined the asterisk club. We'll find out in a few of weeks.

David K - 1-29-2011 at 09:33 AM

At Tecate, I have been pulled over (secondary) for
(1) U.S. lunch meat,
(2) store packaged, unused, U.S. firewood and
(3) limes... The limes are permitted, by the way... the border officer didn't know.

The other dozens of times, not a problem or inspection.

One time in 2001, southbound at Tecate, Mexican officials checked my square, blue, plastic 5 gallon water jug. Took the lid off and sniffed it (checking to see if it was gasoline)!

fishabductor - 1-29-2011 at 09:43 AM

I wonder if the sniffer could have detected the bacon if it was hidden in his anal cavity?

I think the drug/money/human smugglers probably take more precaution than hiding the goods in a ziploc baggy in the cooler.

Anyone want to test the system? I will provide the bacon(not my pesonal baco of course) free of cost? You provide the hiding place.

absinvestor - 1-29-2011 at 02:08 PM

We also had the dog food experience. At the Tecate US border crossing, when returning our passports, the agent looked at our dog in the window and asked me if we had any dog food. I told him we had some Eukanuba dry dog food and he immediately sent me to secondary. The agent that came onboard asked to see the bag. We didn't have the bag since we store the opened bag food in a tin container. The agent told me that he was suppose to take the food but that he was going to give us a break and let us keep it. However, he said that since we had been sent to secondary that he was required to do a check of the motorhome. He looked in every storage compartment (inside and out), under the bed etc etc. and sent us on our way.

sweet limes not allowed

mcfez - 1-30-2011 at 06:56 AM

Perhaps why the inspectors get confused over your limes....

"Many products grown in Canada or Mexico are allowed to enter the United States. This includes most vegetables and many fruits; however, seed potatoes from Canada currently require a permit. Additionally, stone fruit, apples, mangoes, oranges, guavas, sopote, cherimoya and sweet limes from Mexico require a permit.

http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/clearing/agri_prod_inus.xm...

[Edited on 1-30-2011 by mcfez]

David K - 1-30-2011 at 09:16 AM

We now get the truck washed in Baja before going to the border... We were threatened once about the dirt/ mud on the truck...

>>> Vehicles must also be cleaned of any soil. No soil or earth of any kind is allowed into the United States without a permit issued in advance by USDA Plant Protection and Quarantine Permit Unit. Pure sand, such as a small container of decorative beach sand, is usually allowed. <<<

wilderone - 1-30-2011 at 09:18 AM

I know that soil is a big concern and I can understand that. I am always worried that I'll be sent to secondary with my granite rocks (for my rock garden) and my bags of white arroyo sand (for bulb planting). But not so far - go figure. I've been sent to secondary for oranges ("I already ate them, my trip is over") - they took my garbage sack with the orange peels. sheesh!! I think the biggest risk is the individual inspector's knowledge of the law.

BajaRat - 1-30-2011 at 10:01 AM

No dirt? Hmmm...we are always covered in dirt coming and going. Surprised we haven't been stopped for that. They did confiscate a piece of cactus skeleton that has been on our dash for over 3 years, from AZ, stating that it was an endangered species that we were not allowed to possess. I doubt the gentleman could identify which species, but I wasn't going to push it.

DianaT - 1-30-2011 at 10:38 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by BajaRat
.......
I doubt the gentleman could identify which species, but I wasn't going to push it.

For the sake of your time, your family, and the well being of your vehicle, very intelligent decision. :yes:

There are a few agents at Tecate who are always very friendly and even like to joke some and still do their jobs very well---then there are the jerks who love having a badge, a gun and power.

There is the one who loves to step outside of the booth while you are driving forward---tall, big hat, wide stance, hand on gun----a real attempt at his best John Wayne style intimidation. Then he loves to smirk at you as he fires stupid questions to which sarcastic answers would be easy--- he is almost licking his lips hoping you will challenge him so he can slam you into a complete search in secondary.

bajaandy - 1-30-2011 at 11:02 AM

OK, probably not the smartest thing I ever did...

Mid '90's trip, I offered to tow a friends aluminum skiff down and back so he could tow his buggy. Well, we never even launched the skiff while we were there. On the last day as we broke camp and stuffed all our garbage into a trash bag, I absent mindedly tossed the bag into the boat with the intention of dropping it at the nearest trash can. Of course, I forgot all about it and sure enough the BPA wanted to know what was in the black plastic bag in the boat. What black plastic bag? DOH!!! Off to secondary we went. The officer in secondary was very polite, but still wanted to see what we in the bag. She made the suggestion that next time I should dispose of my trash before coming back into the states. I agreed, and she sent us on our way.