BajaNomad

Border crossing scrutiny

ORphil - 1-9-2024 at 11:09 PM

Hey folks, I haven't driven down for many, many years. Been flying down for the last few trips and I haven't had my bags searched. I use kratom, which is a herb some SE asia and isn't worthy of debating about other that it looks odd. A green powder in a vacuum sealed bag. It isn't illegal in MX or in CA.

I'm curious if anyone has run into problems at the border heading south or any checkpoints and had to explain it. Kind of a long shot but kratom is becoming more popular. It just seems hard to explain for a dumb gringo such as myself with next to no spanish and looks suspicious. Thoughts?

thanks
phil

[Edited on 1-10-2024 by ORphil]

mtgoat666 - 1-10-2024 at 08:44 AM

Hard to say…. If your drugs are labeled and legal, then should be no problem.

Lee - 1-10-2024 at 10:49 AM

If it's found, and sealed, military might want to open it.

If it were mine, I'd hide it well.

Labeled and legal is meaningless to checkpoints.

No poker face here....

AKgringo - 1-10-2024 at 03:27 PM

If I was worried about hiding something, I would probably have a "tell" that would prompt a search. If it is available in Baja, I would probably count on finding it at my destination, or do without it for a few days.

As far as Lencho's suggestion, I am trying to visualize the charades I would go through explaining erectile disfunction with my limited Spanglish!

pacificobob - 1-12-2024 at 12:31 PM

The humor component of the ED explaination would likely work well. Those check point guys love dik humor..

surabi - 1-12-2024 at 02:33 PM

I always found it best not to try to hide something that might be questioned. Because if they find it and there was obviously an attempt to hide it, that will just call attention, suspicion and questioning to it. As long as whatever it is isn't illegal to bring in, I always put things in what would be a logical place for someone to pack something they weren't trying to hide. If they ask what it is, just tell them honestly or at least plausibly.

So something like a bag of a legal herbal medication I would just put in my food box, with all my other herbs
and spices.



I once brought down a dozen new Indian print bedspreads to sell in my upholstery shop. If they were all folded and stacked up neatly together, they might have questioned them and tried to charge me duty. I just wadded them up and used them to cushion dishes and breakable stuff that was in boxes and totes, which didn't draw a second glance.

[Edited on 1-12-2024 by surabi]

[Edited on 1-12-2024 by surabi]

RFClark - 1-12-2024 at 04:15 PM

“If you’re curious about the legality of kratom in Mexico, you’re not alone. Whenever you plan on bringing kratom with you when you travel to another state or country, it’s a good idea to check the legal status of kratom not only for your destination but for any stops along the way.

Fortunately, kratom is legal in Mexico. There are no kratom bans in Mexico, nor have any efforts to ban kratom in Mexico been introduced. It is legal to possess and carry kratom in Cancun, Mexico City, Tulum, or any other part of the country, because the government of Mexico has not restricted kratom in any of Mexico’s 32 states.”

https://toptreeherbs.com/is-kratom-legal-in-mexico/

surabi - 1-12-2024 at 05:28 PM

I highly doubt any Mexican border official has ever heard of kratom before. I hadn't either.

And whether there is a law against bringing something in or not, the reality is, anything could be confiscated depending on the whim of the border official. I once had a US border official confiscate a box of feathers I was using for craft projects. While it is illegal to transport animal products like feathers across the border, just like you can't cross with certain fruits and vegetables, those restrictions are designed to stop the spread of diseases, funguses, bacteria, etc. so they don't apply to all of those things across the board. It
depends on how they are packaged and labelled, their origin, etc.

The feathers I had weren't ones I had picked up off the ground, that could spread avian flu or anything, they were packaged and sterilized (and marked as such), especially for use in craft work. So they weren't actually illegal to cross with, but the officious jerk at the border confiscated them anyway.

[Edited on 1-13-2024 by surabi]

[Edited on 1-13-2024 by surabi]

surabi - 1-12-2024 at 05:48 PM

One thing I appreciate about Mexican customs officials is that most of them tend to retain their humanity, rather than acting like automatons who never crack a smile or engage in any banter, like the US ones.

I have a friend who is well-off, has a big fancy house in Mexico and brings down a lot of expensive stuff for it. She once flew in and had a bunch of new appliances- a coffeemaker, blender, stereo, etc. The customs guys at the airport were going through her bags, setting those things aside, saying she'd have to pay duty on them.



She and her husband are boxing fans and had just gone to a bout in NYC where a famous Mexican boxer was fighting. She had bought Tshirts with the face of the boxer and "Madison Square Garden, 20xx" printed in them to gift to her employees.

The Mexican customs guys pulled out the t-shirts, held them up, and got big smiles on their faces. She said, "You like him?" They nodded yes, emphatically. She
said, "They're yours". They slid them under the counter and said quietly, "Lady, pack up your stuff and go."
No duty charged on all her stuff.

[Edited on 1-13-2024 by surabi]

[Edited on 1-13-2024 by surabi]

ftrphb - 1-12-2024 at 08:26 PM

The pendulum swings back and forth. I have walked across the border into TJ maybe 1,000 times, over the years. Today MX migration confiscated my bag of rice. Two different migration officers looked in the box I was carrying. A box of food. Most of the time they just ignore me.

towntaco - 1-12-2024 at 09:45 PM

Quote: Originally posted by lencho  
Quote: Originally posted by pacificobob  
The humor component of the ED explaination would likely work well. Those check point guys love dik humor..

Ironic afternote (I'd never even heard of kraton before this thread):
"Common side effects include appetite loss, erectile dysfunction, nausea and constipation.

Source: Wikipedia

Side note: I'm always intrigued when people inquire about taking their favorite mind-altering substance to Mexico. Who needs drugs when one can experience alternate realities just talking to the old doña next door?


Kratom is both physically addictive and used by people to get off opiates. Our new friend Phil probably doesn't want to go through the withdrawal.

ORphil - 1-13-2024 at 02:02 AM

Towntaco,

Where are you getting this information about Kratom? I've never been addicted to opiates and kratom can be used similar to how people drink coffee as an extremely mild stimulant, with none of the unpleasant side effects of too much caffeine. I've seen some have used it for opiate withdrawals, and it is also used for pain relief by a lot of folks.

Of course the FDA and the DEA doesn't want people using a cheap readily available natural substance for such things, they attempted to make it a Schedule I drug in 2016 but the backlash from the public halted it at least for now. It's active ingredient is being investigated by pharma in order to patent and oh, I don't know, maybe make a lot of money off it.

If one believes the DEA propaganda about kratom, it has been involved in a a few deaths in the last decade but unfortunately (for their purposes) all of them involved other dangerous substances some of which are legal and prescribed. Not kratom alone. Look it up...

Phil

ORphil - 1-13-2024 at 02:07 AM

Thanks for all the replies, I just won't worry about it. I've gone through the checkpoints before and once had to say it was matcha tea which is far easier than trying to explain I have some relatively rare herbal substance from SE Asia.

I suppose I was mostly curious about people's experiences southbound through the border at Tecate or Mexicali, it has been so long since I've driven. I'll have camping gear and all the rest, probably nothing to fret about.

thanks again
Phil

pauldavidmena - 1-13-2024 at 07:42 AM

Quote: Originally posted by surabi  
I always found it best not to try to hide something that might be questioned. Because if they find it and there was obviously an attempt to hide it, that will just call attention, suspicion and questioning to it.


My wife grew up in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The quickest way to get there from Massachusetts, by far, is through southern Ontario. It takes about 24 hours from the Boston area, which we usually break up into 2 days, but with 2 drivers, it's possible to make it through in one day unless something unusual happens. So...

We left Munising, MI after breakfast and picked up 2 cases of Bell's Two-Hearted Ale, my wife's favorite beer. We know it's legal to transport up to 2 cases of beer into both Canada and the U.S., so we're covered - legally. When we reach the border crossing from Niagara Falls into Buffalo, already 600 miles into our trip, we're questioned not only about transporting illegal substances, but explicitly about beer, which is in plain sight on the floor of the back seat. Tired, I hesitate before saying, "yes, two cases," which apparently is enough for the officer to pull us away from the booth for a full inspection. This meant back seats removed, glove box ransacked, and all luggage pulled out and searched. It took several officers no more than fifteen minutes to do their damage, and about an hour to put everything back together before proceeding on the 500-mile drive to Boston. As a bonus, we were both patted down as well.

SFandH - 1-13-2024 at 07:45 AM

Quote: Originally posted by AKgringo  


As far as Lencho's suggestion, I am trying to visualize the charades I would go through explaining erectile disfunction with my limited Spanglish!


Universal sign language using your index finger - straight out or bent over. They'll get it. ;)

mtgoat666 - 1-13-2024 at 08:47 AM

Quote: Originally posted by ORphil  
Thanks for all the replies, I just won't worry about it. I've gone through the checkpoints before and once had to say it was matcha tea which is far easier than trying to explain I have some relatively rare herbal substance from SE Asia.

Phil


They rarely do a detailed inspection.
But dont be stupid and think they are dummies. If you lie and say your crackon is tea, they will see right thru your lies. I am sure the inspectors have seen it all, or heard of it all. They ain't dumb.

towntaco - 1-13-2024 at 09:27 AM

Quote: Originally posted by ORphil  
Towntaco,

Where are you getting this information about Kratom? I've never been addicted to opiates and kratom can be used similar to how people drink coffee as an extremely mild stimulant, with none of the unpleasant side effects of too much caffeine. I've seen some have used it for opiate withdrawals, and it is also used for pain relief by a lot of folks.

Of course the FDA and the DEA doesn't want people using a cheap readily available natural substance for such things, they attempted to make it a Schedule I drug in 2016 but the backlash from the public halted it at least for now. It's active ingredient is being investigated by pharma in order to patent and oh, I don't know, maybe make a lot of money off it.

If one believes the DEA propaganda about kratom, it has been involved in a a few deaths in the last decade but unfortunately (for their purposes) all of them involved other dangerous substances some of which are legal and prescribed. Not kratom alone. Look it up...

Phil

Both Mayo Clinic and NIH
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/prescription-...

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3670991/

Lee - 1-13-2024 at 09:35 AM

Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666  
Quote: Originally posted by ORphil  
Thanks for all the replies, I just won't worry about it. I've gone through the checkpoints before and once had to say it was matcha tea which is far easier than trying to explain I have some relatively rare herbal substance from SE Asia.

Phil


They rarely do a detailed inspection.
But dont be stupid and think they are dummies. If you lie and say your crackon is tea, they will see right thru your lies. I am sure the inspectors have seen it all, or heard of it all. They ain't dumb.


More generalizations about checkpoints that don't hold up. Equivalent to stating that checkpoints always know when you're telling the truth.

Only thing that might be true is checkpoints ''profile.'' If you have a surfboard on top, long hair, they will ''assume'' you have pot and will get a detailed search.

At the SI checkpoint, once, I was really sick (cold, runny nose, not well), same with my old dog who was about to die from old age, I had aspirin, ibuprofen, Tylenol, bottles laying around, and it was like a swat team descended on my car. Too degassing coffee containers had roasted coffee. They kept asking me where the pot was I kept saying no pot. They were pi$$ed they couldn't find anything. Car in back was a MX friend caravanning down with me and they told him they knew I had pot but just couldn't find it. I was too sick to be pi$$ed.

mtgoat666 - 1-13-2024 at 11:06 AM

Quote: Originally posted by Lee  
Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666  
Quote: Originally posted by ORphil  
Thanks for all the replies, I just won't worry about it. I've gone through the checkpoints before and once had to say it was matcha tea which is far easier than trying to explain I have some relatively rare herbal substance from SE Asia.

Phil


They rarely do a detailed inspection.
But dont be stupid and think they are dummies. If you lie and say your crackon is tea, they will see right thru your lies. I am sure the inspectors have seen it all, or heard of it all. They ain't dumb.


More generalizations about checkpoints that don't hold up. Equivalent to stating that checkpoints always know when you're telling the truth.

Only thing that might be true is checkpoints ''profile.'' If you have a surfboard on top, long hair, they will ''assume'' you have pot and will get a detailed search.



Get a haircut!




[Edited on 1-13-2024 by mtgoat666]

AKgringo - 1-13-2024 at 11:10 AM

What about the "combover", is it in style?

mtgoat666 - 1-13-2024 at 11:17 AM

Quote: Originally posted by AKgringo  
What about the "combover", is it in style?


A pathetic appearance may result in soldiers pitying you and waving you through.

Lee - 1-13-2024 at 11:48 AM

Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666  
Quote: Originally posted by AKgringo  
What about the "combover", is it in style?


A pathetic appearance may result in soldiers pitying you and waving you through.


Came through SI checkpoint, again sick, with persistent cough this time. Put down my window as I was rolling up, and before I could speak, started with a hacking cough. The soldier on duty took a big step back and said GO!

David K - 1-13-2024 at 12:08 PM

There was a popular story that in the 1960s, the police captain in Ensenada had enough of the hippies in his town. So, he collected them, gave them haircuts and a lecture on masculinity. The hippies never came back! :light:



ORphil - 1-14-2024 at 07:50 PM

Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666  
Quote: Originally posted by ORphil  
Thanks for all the replies, I just won't worry about it. I've gone through the checkpoints before and once had to say it was matcha tea which is far easier than trying to explain I have some relatively rare herbal substance from SE Asia.

Phil


They rarely do a detailed inspection.
But dont be stupid and think they are dummies. If you lie and say your crackon is tea, they will see right thru your lies. I am sure the inspectors have seen it all, or heard of it all. They ain't dumb.


Crackon? I see you are very familar with this. Do you grind coffee beans and pour it over grounds or meet people in a dark alley, jonesing. Gimme a break man. Don't kid a kidder.

ORphil - 1-14-2024 at 08:11 PM

Well, I'm a clean cut male in a 1998 Toyota Tacoma. I might pass the 1950s test, boy Scout look and the rest. Thanks Lee for a real answer rather than smart ass remarks.

pacificobob - 1-14-2024 at 09:37 PM

I'm a big fan of smart-ass remarks.

Lee - 1-14-2024 at 09:42 PM

Here's one that makes no sense to me.

I've been traveling with a 8' cargo box on 2 different SUV's over the years. I've been asked to open it once and that was MX customs at Tecate going S. They asked me what was inside and I said basura. 3 agents laughed. Opened the passenger door to stand on the door threshold and opened the box and they couldn't see anything from 10'-20' away -- just looked in that direction then said OK.

I've never been asked to open the box at checkpoints, ever. I could have 20 AKs and not even a question about contents. If I were to surmise, it'd be it's too much trouble for them, would have more difficulty checking things out while keeping their balance.

I think it's hilarious.

Lee - 1-14-2024 at 09:46 PM

Here's one that makes no sense to me.

I've been traveling with a 8' cargo box on 2 different SUV's over the years. I've been asked to open it once and that was MX customs at Tecate going S. They asked me what was inside and I said basura. 3 agents laughed. Opened the passenger door to stand on the door threshold and opened the box and they couldn't see anything from 10'-20' away -- just looked in that direction then said OK.

I've never been asked to open the box at checkpoints, ever. I could have 20 AKs and not even a question about contents. If I were to surmise, it'd be it's too much trouble for them, would have more difficulty checking things out while keeping their balance.

I think it's hilarious.

mtgoat666 - 1-14-2024 at 11:13 PM

Quote: Originally posted by ORphil  
Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666  
Quote: Originally posted by ORphil  
Thanks for all the replies, I just won't worry about it. I've gone through the checkpoints before and once had to say it was matcha tea which is far easier than trying to explain I have some relatively rare herbal substance from SE Asia.

Phil


They rarely do a detailed inspection.
But dont be stupid and think they are dummies. If you lie and say your crackon is tea, they will see right thru your lies. I am sure the inspectors have seen it all, or heard of it all. They ain't dumb.


Crackon? I see you are very familar with this. Do you grind coffee beans and pour it over grounds or meet people in a dark alley, jonesing. Gimme a break man. Don't kid a kidder.


Speaking of coffeee…

Why Does Coffee Make Me Poop?
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/30/well/eat/why-does-coffee-...

Kraton is an imitation opioid, does it make you constipated?








[Edited on 1-15-2024 by mtgoat666]

surabi - 1-14-2024 at 11:44 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Lee  
Here's one that makes no sense to me.



Much of what border officials are trained to do is as much about guaging your demeanor and reactions as it is about actually searching through your stuff. If a person seems nervous or overly nonchalant, defensive or aggressive, that can raise their spidey senses. They probably also have some percentage of searches they are supposed to conduct in a day, so it can also be pretty random.

When you were asked to open the box, but they were actually too far away to see what was in it, and didn't bother to look, they were probably paying attention to whether you seemed nervous or upset about doing it.

[Edited on 1-15-2024 by surabi]

Lee - 1-15-2024 at 09:18 AM

Quote: Originally posted by surabi  


When you were asked to open the box, but they were actually too far away to see what was in it, and didn't bother to look, they were probably paying attention to whether you seemed nervous or upset about doing it.

[Edited on 1-15-2024 by surabi]


That's good.

I was being profiled and didn't think about it. Wife was bonding with a cat there and agents were laughing about that as well. In the moment, we were all having fun. No AKs.

Still, at checkpoints, I don't see that happening. Not even a glance upward at my cargo box. No questions.

surfhat - 1-15-2024 at 10:35 AM

Showing appreciation at the road checks for the job the soldiers are doing by keeping the roadway safe, make that safer, is easy enough and they do appreciate being appreciated. haha

That does not always get you off from being searched, but more often than not, it does. At least it brings some levity and good vibes to the situation which can take you farther than having an attitude.

Having a copilot along helps. Having a dash cam doesn't hurt either. I was alone the last time a few years ago when I was thoroughly gone through.

They have to be bored out of their minds at some of these check points with nothing else to do.

Of course, never take your eyes off anyone going through your belongings or let yourself become distracted, I have seen them try that too, from watching every move they make. Works for me and has for decades.

Knock on wood, as always. Happy and safe travels to all Nomads.



AKgringo - 1-15-2024 at 10:51 AM

I have rarely had my vehicle searched (possibly because of my large dog) but even when they are going through my glove box, center consol and under the seats, no one has ever asked me to open the ammo can behind the driver's seat!

I use it to store fragile items and keep it accessible in plain sight. To me an ammo can would be of interest, but so far it has not been searched.

surabi - 1-15-2024 at 11:42 AM

Quote: Originally posted by AKgringo  
... but even when they are going through my glove box, center consol and under the seats, no one has ever asked me to open the ammo can behind the driver's seat!

I use it to store fragile items and keep it accessible in plain sight. To me an ammo can would be of interest, but so far it has not been searched.


Whenever I have been searched, they tend not to do more than a cursory check of things which obviously aren't hidden. They look more thoroughly in places you might use to hide something. That's why I said upthread that if it's not illegal to cross with, it's best not to try to hide something just because they might question it.

digcolnagos - 1-15-2024 at 02:13 PM

Quote: Originally posted by pauldavidmena  
Quote: Originally posted by surabi  
I always found it best not to try to hide something that might be questioned. Because if they find it and there was obviously an attempt to hide it, that will just call attention, suspicion and questioning to it.


My wife grew up in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The quickest way to get there from Massachusetts, by far, is through southern Ontario. It takes about 24 hours from the Boston area, which we usually break up into 2 days, but with 2 drivers, it's possible to make it through in one day unless something unusual happens. So...

We left Munising, MI after breakfast and picked up 2 cases of Bell's Two-Hearted Ale, my wife's favorite beer. We know it's legal to transport up to 2 cases of beer into both Canada and the U.S., so we're covered - legally. When we reach the border crossing from Niagara Falls into Buffalo, already 600 miles into our trip, we're questioned not only about transporting illegal substances, but explicitly about beer, which is in plain sight on the floor of the back seat. Tired, I hesitate before saying, "yes, two cases," which apparently is enough for the officer to pull us away from the booth for a full inspection. This meant back seats removed, glove box ransacked, and all luggage pulled out and searched. It took several officers no more than fifteen minutes to do their damage, and about an hour to put everything back together before proceeding on the 500-mile drive to Boston. As a bonus, we were both patted down as well.


Did you get to keep the beer? That's the important part...

My 2 cents, I never travel with anything that might be called into question, and I imbibe in things that might be called into question. That way, you know, 100 percent, that there won't be an issue. If you cannot do this, and I'm making no judgment here, you might want to ask yourself why having whatever it is that you have is more important than being 100 percent certain.

This said, friends recently went to Belize or Costa Rica or somewhere similar--can't recall the country--and brought along psylocibin, which now is all the rage and even legal in some places. They ground the product down into dust, then put it in gel caps, presumably opaque, and threw them in with vitamin caps. The last place I'd want to be tripping is a Central American jail cell, but it worked for them.

surabi - 1-15-2024 at 10:42 PM

Back in the 70s, when I was hanging out in Oaxaca, another young American woman who was living there bought a bunch of flowers in the market. The cops busted her walking home with them and put her in the local lockup, because they were poppies. She didn't even know what kind of flowers they were, she just bought them because they were pretty.