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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64836
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Online
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Take off your dark glasses, roll down all the windows (so they can easily see the back seat area), have your passport in your hand and present it with
a smile and eye contact.
Answer the questions, if they ask if you have liquor, tell them if you have any that came from the U.S. as well as any you got in Mexico.
If they ask about fruits and vegetables, tell them all and in this case, it doesn't matter if they are from the U.S., once in Mexico they are Mexican.
There are many allowed items, including limes, but be prepared for agent ignorance, so just get rid of everything before coming north.
Any kind of Pork, Chicken (raw), and eggs are NOT PERMITTED.
NO FIREWOOD can be returned, even store bought bundles from the U.S.
Excess soil (mud) on or under your vehicle is not allowed, so try and find a car wash before coming to the border if you off roaded in mud.
Anyway, usually we do not go to Secondary... but it can happen. So expect it, and if not, enjoy it.
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treuboff
Nomad
Posts: 127
Registered: 8-27-2013
Location: prescott az
Member Is Offline
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We sailed through Nogales with our dive trailer but have nothing but pure intimidation and harassment at Tecate
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dizzyspots
Senior Nomad
Posts: 603
Registered: 9-22-2008
Location: Mescal AZ
Member Is Offline
Mood: rather be on the beach at Gonzaga
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Confessions of a fruit cup smuggler...
on our last trip, returning from Gonzaga, truck camper and pulling an 18ft boat. Over to secondary we went (we are experienced border travelers
and never bring anything illegal across, nothing to declare). We were asked to have a seat in the building ...and waited and waited and waited...about
45 minutes into the wait, we see a couple of agents start going over the rig...after about 20-30 minutes, an agent comes over to speak to us. "Are you
sure you have nothing to declare/" "No sir"
With a very serious, solemn tone he beigns the lecture about fruit cups...he had discovered two(2) Del Monte single serving fruit cups in the
bottom of the ice chest...wait for it...without their proper outer cardboard wrapper!!! He acknowledged that they indeed were still
sealed.....BUT...had they opened up and spilled those 5 or 6 grapefruit sections into the bottom of the cooler...how could they positively tell where
they actually had come from....this is a true story....naked fruit cups folks!!! really??? He cleared us to cross with a reminder to be more
careful....
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AKgringo
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6025
Registered: 9-20-2014
Location: Anchorage, AK (no mas!)
Member Is Offline
Mood: Retireded
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Fruit cups?
It is about time they crack down on you scoff-laws! What about an open container of Squirt, it supposedly has grapefruit in it?
Which border crossing was that, and was that recently?
If you are not living on the edge, you are taking up too much space!
"Could do better if he tried!" Report card comments from most of my grade school teachers. Sadly, still true!
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cj5orion
Nomad
Posts: 336
Registered: 2-6-2010
Location: Pacific Beach/Gonzaga Bay
Member Is Offline
Mood: time for a cervaza !!!
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one fruit cup smuggling another
its a gang thing
Home Remodels/Builds..Recession!
Gone BAJA BUILDIN/FISHIN !
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dizzyspots
Senior Nomad
Posts: 603
Registered: 9-22-2008
Location: Mescal AZ
Member Is Offline
Mood: rather be on the beach at Gonzaga
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san luis....
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TecateRay
Nomad
Posts: 346
Registered: 9-6-2006
Location: La Mesa, CA
Member Is Offline
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I am a frequent crosser at Tecate with a Callen camper.
1. Dark glasses off, window down, music/radio off, camper door unlocked
2. Clearly state nothing to declare or maybe 3 beers, etc. Be specific!
3. Clearly state no fruit, no vegetables, no meat or poultry products.
4. I tell them back door to camper is open. I place the cooler near the door and easy to open.
I occasionally end up in secondary, but most times they either let me through or go to the back, see the empty cooler (or maybe a couple of yogurts or
sodas) and send me on my way.
Summary: Tell them what items on the restricted list that you DO NOT have. Make it easy for them to quick check at the booth. Bring a book! If you
go to secondary it's probably for an "agriculture check" and you have wait for the Ag agent. Apparently it's a speciality and the other agents don't
do ag checks.
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treuboff
Nomad
Posts: 127
Registered: 8-27-2013
Location: prescott az
Member Is Offline
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We got s##t over sea fans and rocks at Tecate
tecate
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CatCrazyJulie
Junior Nomad
Posts: 57
Registered: 10-7-2006
Location: Morro Bay, CA
Member Is Offline
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(Sorry about the delayed response...should I blame it on secondary again?)
I love the story about the fruit cups! Now that was an inspector with a complex! We have a bunch of canned peaches...hmmm....
Looks like our best bet is to review the restricted list, make sure we've gotten rid of everything on it, specifically address that with the border
guard, then tell them about what we *do* have that we bought in Mexico. And still be prepared to wait and not take it personally.
Re the Mexican Army stops: has anyone else noticed that the soldiers have stopped asking for flashlights/batteries/dictionaries/etc.? We started
carrying cheap flashlights in the expectation of being asked for them. But the last two trips, there have been no requests for anything.
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bowser
Junior Nomad
Posts: 87
Registered: 5-13-2005
Location: BOLA & Chester, California
Member Is Offline
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We crossed at Tecate going north last Tuesday about 9AM.
We always have a motorhome and/or a tarped utility trailer. In 30 or so crossings at TJ or Tecate we have NEVER avoided secondary.
Tuesday we crossed in about 5 minutes and were NOT sent to secondary. I wasn't sure how to get across without going to secondary first!
A lot of good advice above. But there still is that luck thing.
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Pappy Jon
Nomad
Posts: 494
Registered: 8-27-2003
Location: Wrong side of the Continental divide.
Member Is Offline
Mood: Temp rising.
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I don't tow anything. I've been to secondary once, at Lukeville.
I was living in Palm Springs at the time. A group of us were going to Organ Pipe NM, and looking at the map it appeared to be faster to cross at
Calexico, drop down to Mex 2, and cut across. Simple.
Woman at border asks where we were coming from. "Palm Springs." "Uh?" Secondary we go. That happened to three of us in the group until she figured out
we were not kidding.
"The association of flowers and warm-blooded love is more than a romantic convention; it is based upon one of the great advances in the evolution
of life." Ed Abbey
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4Cata
Nomad
Posts: 115
Registered: 10-28-2008
Location: Yosemite area
Member Is Offline
Mood: Siempre alegre!
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Once I was returning after a week in Rosarita in an rv, still had several pineapple in fridge. Got sent to secondary, quickly cut pineapple and
served to all agents and others in area, got a reprive and sent on our way. Another time, in same rv, had bought LOTS of pottery, which was stashed
in entry step well to keep from rolling around. Agent asked to inspect rv, we agreed, and when he opened door to see pottery, he just laughed and
sent us on our way, NO secondary. Note to self: always buy pottery.
Agaveros, silk in a bottle, a beautiful bottle!
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vgabndo
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3461
Registered: 12-8-2003
Location: Mt. Shasta, CA
Member Is Offline
Mood: Checking-off my bucket list.
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Quote: Originally posted by David K  | Take off your dark glasses, roll down all the windows (so they can easily see the back seat area), have your passport in your hand and present it with
a smile and eye contact.
Answer the questions, if they ask if you have liquor, tell them if you have any that came from the U.S. as well as any you got in Mexico.
If they ask about fruits and vegetables, tell them all and in this case, it doesn't matter if they are from the U.S., once in Mexico they are Mexican.
There are many allowed items, including limes, but be prepared for agent ignorance, so just get rid of everything before coming north.
Any kind of Pork, Chicken (raw), and eggs are NOT PERMITTED.
NO FIREWOOD can be returned, even store bought bundles from the U.S.
Excess soil (mud) on or under your vehicle is not allowed, so try and find a car wash before coming to the border if you off roaded in mud.
Anyway, usually we do not go to Secondary... but it can happen. So expect it, and if not, enjoy it. |
Just to be clear, cooked or boiled eggs are permitted to be imported into the USA.
Undoubtedly, there are people who cannot afford to give the anchor of sanity even the slightest tug. Sam Harris
"The situation is far too dire for pessimism."
Bill Kauth
Carl Sagan said, "We are a way for the cosmos to know itself."
PEACE, LOVE AND FISH TACOS
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64836
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Online
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Correct... but really, do you want the inspector to test your eggs to see if they are raw or cooked? Do you think he will take the time or send you to
secondary for your egg check?
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Pappy Jon
Nomad
Posts: 494
Registered: 8-27-2003
Location: Wrong side of the Continental divide.
Member Is Offline
Mood: Temp rising.
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| Quote: Originally posted by David K | | Correct... but really, do you want the inspector to test your eggs to see if they are raw or cooked? Do you think he will take the time or send you to
secondary for your egg check? |
Easy test. Just spin them. If they continue spinning after stopping, they are raw. If you stop the spinning, and they don't continue and stay put,
they are hard boiled.
"The association of flowers and warm-blooded love is more than a romantic convention; it is based upon one of the great advances in the evolution
of life." Ed Abbey
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64836
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Online
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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| Quote: Originally posted by Pappy Jon | | Quote: Originally posted by David K | | Correct... but really, do you want the inspector to test your eggs to see if they are raw or cooked? Do you think he will take the time or send you to
secondary for your egg check? |
Easy test. Just spin them. If they continue spinning after stopping, they are raw. If you stop the spinning, and they don't continue and stay put,
they are hard boiled. |
Yes, I know the spin trick... but the thread is on how to AVOID secondary. Cooked eggs are okay (as are limes), but the hassle to be sent to secondary
for them to agree that the officer was wrong for sending you there (or to spin your eggs) is what we want to avoid. Bring NOTHING back that remotely
could confuse the border officer. (He actually told me "Well, limes are like oranges, and oranges aren't permitted"!!!)
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