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Ateo
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Smuggling Stories........
I thought it might be interesting to hear of people's smuggling stories in Baja. =)
Anyone ever smuggle a person over the border? Anyone ever smuggle an illegal drug, guns, or money into Mexico?
Please share.
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stiladam
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I do have a friend from Ireland that was incapable of lying (or faking an American accent) and admitted to to CBP when we were returning from Baja
that he had overstayed his visitor status. He was shipped home and returned the following week on his British passport hahaha
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woody with a view
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I've lived a VERY sheltered life! Typically, in the shade!
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DanO
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Not quite smuggling, but close. Many years ago I was asked at the northbound crossing at San Ysidro what I was bringing back. The wife and I had a
bottle of Orendain Ollitas tequila and a six pack of Carta Blanca (the old shorty bottles with the opener in the bottom because, as the saying goes,
one good thing leads to another).
As it turned out, six 12-ounce bottles was more than a liter (I never was good at math), so we got sent to secondary. The guy in secondary told me
that I had to get rid of the three beers that put us over the limit, pointing to a wooden rack that you're supposed to put the open bottles on to
drain out.
I asked if he wouldn't mind if I drank them instead. He said, "I don't give a damn what you do with them." So, I hung out in secondary for a bit,
knocked back the three beers, waved goodbye and hopped on the freeway. Probably wouldn't turn out the same way these days.
\"Without deviation from the norm, progress is not possible.\" -- Frank Zappa
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BigBearRider
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It is probably not a good idea to post smuggling stories on a public forum.
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BajaBlanca
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I like the story about the honest Irishman who came back a week later on another passport....not sure if he would be able to do that nowadays !
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Ateo
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Quote: Originally posted by DanO  | Not quite smuggling, but close. Many years ago I was asked at the northbound crossing at San Ysidro what I was bringing back. The wife and I had a
bottle of Orendain Ollitas tequila and a six pack of Carta Blanca (the old shorty bottles with the opener in the bottom because, as the saying goes,
one good thing leads to another).
As it turned out, six 12-ounce bottles was more than a liter (I never was good at math), so we got sent to secondary. The guy in secondary told me
that I had to get rid of the three beers that put us over the limit, pointing to a wooden rack that you're supposed to put the open bottles on to
drain out.
I asked if he wouldn't mind if I drank them instead. He said, "I don't give a damn what you do with them." So, I hung out in secondary for a bit,
knocked back the three beers, waved goodbye and hopped on the freeway. Probably wouldn't turn out the same way these days. |
That's a good one! Can't you offer too pay the duty? Or that's probably too much paperwork for them to handle.
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sancho
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While going in at SY to bus to La Paz, SD Cops had an xray for
tourists going into Mex, they xrayed my bag with, concerned
looks, asked me to open it, where the offending item, no kidding, was a banana for the bus ride down. Heck. maybe
taking in fruit to Mex may violate regs. Read of a guy, driving
a cabover, stopped at a checkpoint going down, the Mex
Army guy swept his arm under a mattress, somehow missing
a pistol the Gringo had stored there
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BajaMama
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I brave it and bring three boxes of wine into Mexico. So far, so good.
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stiladam
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Especially when I'm waiting for my Global Entry approval! 
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motoged
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Really !!!!!
But they are all great stories of crafty methodology, technique, and rampant cleverness.....that's what I tell myself and I am sticking to it.
Don't believe everything you think....
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stiladam
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| Quote: Originally posted by BajaBlanca | | I like the story about the honest Irishman who came back a week later on another passport....not sure if he would be able to do that nowadays !
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True story, but indeed it was pre-9-11 
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woody with a view
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we used to buy sky rockets in Rosarito. The ones that were like M80s on a 3 foot piece of bamboo. cut the bamboo sticks off the bomb and put the
sticks inside our wet wetsuits in back of the truck. the bombs would go in my socks. never did get caught.
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AKgringo
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Well there was the incident when three teenagers heading south on the mainland, decided to bring a couple of shotguns and a rifle with them. The back
seat of that 56 Chevy was rock hard with guns and ammo.
But that was a long time ago, and surely wouldn't be of interest now, would it?
User name withheld to protect the guilty.
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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Ateo
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A friend brought a seal skull and it's entire skeleton back and got x-ray'd. They didn't say anything.
Someone I know found some fireworks in their car door that had been there for months. That someone was in Carlsbad when they found them and had
crossed 2 times back into the USA.
Friend went thru a checkpoint in Abreojos years ago and the military found 100 shotgun shells in the back that the dude had forgotten about. They let
him go.
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bajabuddha
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I once sent a suitcase full of clothing and R&R treasures from Sydney sent from RVN to the States.... took it to customs personally, searched,
yellow-tape sealed and sent. It arrived after I did several months later (1971) and some 6 months later I opened it, and a full pack of Bong Son
Bombers was sitting right on top of everything in plain sight. All I can figure is the customs agent knew me (or of me) and planted a "going home
gift" and re-sealed my suitcase.
Not Baja, but my best smuggling story. They were hallowed-ly enjoyed with a fellow former Herd (173rd) pal.
I don't have a BUCKET LIST, but I do have a F***- IT LIST a mile long!
86 - 45*
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surfhat
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Over thirty years ago I brought a bag of some fresh abalone back,out of the shell, not knowing it was forbidden. I was sent to secondary and I asked
if I could cook up some right there and toss the rest when the agent approached my vehicle. "Sure go ahead".
I pulled out my camp stove and sautéed up as much and more than I could eat in one sitting. When done, I was stuffed, and sadly to me, I still had a
bunch that had to be deposited in the trash.
After that, I made myself aware of just what is allowed and what is not. I recall bringing fresh tortillas still wrapped up and warm from Cristinas'
close to the border and it was always a show watching the ladies cooking them up over the wood fire on a large steel plate like what is used on
highways and roadways to cover on going roadwork.
The large mexican papayas were another permitted item that were so cheap and yummy that I would bring back on daily surf trips. Gotta love the 'melon
of health'.
That's my confession and it sounds pretty harmless these days for all that the border has to deal with. Thanks to all here.
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Udo
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You have read, I assume, about how I smuggled my bird across into Baja.
But a better one, or actually two better ones, were when we smuggled two Mexicans back across to the US when they were deported, about 25 years ago.
And about 30 years ago...never mind!
Udo
Youth is wasted on the young!
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Ateo
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Some nice stories...........another guy I know was on his way to Scorp Bay back in 2009 and the Cadaje checkpoint was open. They searched his glove
compartment and he actually had an old film canister full of weed that had been their for months. They didn't even open it.
"adelante"........
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MMc
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When I was 7 or 8 we went to TJ as a family, with my godmother. We did the whole TJ thing with shopping and zebra photos. When we got home my
godmother produced 3 packs of Black Cat firecrackers out of her bra, and gives them to me. The first 2 with my parents so we could set them off, the
last she gave me on the sly. She was the best. She also gave me my first pocket knife about the same time.
"Never teach a pig to sing it frustrates you and annoys the pig" - W.C.Fields
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