And one other thing ... they aren't specificly looking for the 'little' guy (even though is breaking the law under the 'trading with the enemy act') ...
... but to also keep an eye on the one who is exporting to the US. To buy or sell them is a felony under the 'Trading With the Enemy Act'. Exceptions are made when travelers carry in less than $100 of cigars from Cuba, providing you are an authorized traveler ...
... and they will go after the one in the US who purchased them from other countries.
By buying and selling Cuban cigars, you have violated the “Trading with the Enemy Act,” which creates a federal economic crime that punishes Americans who enter into economic exchanges with Cubans. The feds claim that since Cuba is an enemy of the United States, it is necessary to prohibit Americans from trading with Cubans because such economic activity constitutes giving aid to the enemy.
I recently read where one New York restaurant owner was subjected for buying and selling Cuban cigars. Granted, he was selling them in his resturant, but he faced 10 years in prison and a $500,000 fine but the feds were nice to him and let him plead guilty to two misdemeanors, pay a $5,000 fine, and serve the “community” for 200 hours, further reflecting the arbitrary application of the law.
Also ... Customs has dramatically stepped up its enforcement efforts against Cuban cigars. The agency reported confiscating $3.1 million worth last year alone, in 3,700 separate seizures.
