Officials say 749 cartons of illegally imported cigarettes aboard cruise ship worth almost $60K
May 14 (UPI) -- U.S. Customs and Border Protection said Wednesday that 749 cartons of illegally imported cigarettes were discovered aboard a cruise ship at the Long Beach Cruise Ship Terminal in April.
According to CBP officers assigned to the Los Angeles/Long Beach Seaport, 10 pieces of luggage full of cigarettes belonging to two female passengers was found.
"The importation of tobacco products is highly regulated from both tax and consumer safety perspectives," said CBP Los Angeles Field Operations Director Cheryl M. Davies in a statement. "Travelers who intentionally disregard U.S. importation laws and regulations often pay a high price."
The luggage held 326 cartons of Newport 100s, 58 cartons of Newport regulars, 112 cartons of Marlboro red, 43 cartons of Marlboro Silver and 210 cartons of Marlboro Gold cigarettes.
The CBP said total estimated value was $59,920.
Los Angeles/long Beach CBP Port Director Africa R. Bell said in a statement, "Selling illegally imported cigarettes could yield high profits for underground vendors due to the low cost of cigarettes when purchased overseas and the evasion of taxes owed upon import."
The 749 cartons seized will be destroyed under CBP supervision.
Big quantities of cigarettes are deemed "commercial" and not for personal use.
That requires a U.S. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau importer permit. Imported tobacco must also meet U.S. FDA standards.
The CBP said the passengers transporting the cigarettes produced receipts for them, but did not have the legally required import permits.
The illegally imported cigarettes were on a cruise ship from Ensenada, Mexico.
Copyright 2025 UPI News Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBS News
7 hours ago
- CBS News
MDSO sheriff reassures public ahead of Saturday's FIFA Club World Cup game amid ICE concerns
As immigration protests intensify nationwide and demonstrations are planned in South Florida this weekend, Miami-Dade Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz is working to reassure the public about safety and immigration enforcement ahead of Saturday's FIFA Club World Cup match at Hard Rock Stadium. Deleted federal post fuels fear in immigrant communities Concerns spiked after a now-deleted social media post by U.S. Customs and Border Protection suggested that ICE agents would be present at the stadium. The post caused alarm among immigrant advocates, who fear attendees could face immigration checks. CBS News Miami has reached out to the agency for clarification. So far, the presence of federal immigration agents at the event has not been confirmed. "We are in charge of security at the stadium for Club World Cup," said Sheriff Cordero-Stutz. "While we're working with our state and local partners, that is not our priority that day." Despite the sheriff's assurances, advocates say fears in the community are real. "It's disturbing that Border Patrol not only announced their presence at the game but also sort of implied that people should have their immigration paperwork in order to attend," said Thomas Kennedy of the Florida Immigrant Coalition. "It's good that the sheriff is trying to calm those fears, but they're still operating under a 287(g) agreement." That federal agreement permits local law enforcement to collaborate with immigration authorities. Security tightens ahead of large weekend crowds Cordero-Stutz emphasized her department's primary focus remains on public safety, especially given prior security breaches at major events. "We recently had legislation passed that says at an event with over 5,000 attendees, you'll be charged with a felony if you're disruptive or cause damage," she said. "That's a tool we didn't have last year." Saturday's match also coincides with anti-Trump demonstrations organized in response to a military parade planned in Washington, D.C. "Should things get out of hand, and our partners ask for assistance, we're there to provide the support needed to ensure the safety of the community," Sheriff Cordero-Stutz said.
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Yahoo
Argentina's high court upholds former President Kirchner's conviction
June 10 (UPI) -- Former Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner must serve her six-year prison sentence for a corruption conviction, the nation's Supreme Court of Justice ruled on Tuesday. The three-judge court unanimously upheld Kirchner's 2022 corruption conviction and ruled she is banned from holding public office. The conviction arises from how awards for 51 public works projects were issued in what became the "Vialidad" trial. Kirchner, 72, received due process, and the "rulings issued by the lower courts were based on extensive evidence assessed in accordance with the rules of sound judgment and the penal code enacted by Congress," the judges wrote in Tuesday's verdict. She had argued that the trial arose from political persecution because she is an influential leader of the opposition to current Argentine President Javier Milei and his government. Kirchner was Argentina's president from 2007 to 2015. She also was Argentina's vice president from 2019 to 2023. She is a popular leftist politician and recently announced she intended to run for a seat during the Sept. 7 Buenos Aires Province legislative elections. If she were to run and win, the victory would have given Kirchner immunity against imprisonment over the four-year term as a provincial lawmaker. The Supreme Court's decision against her makes it impossible for Kirchner to seek any public office. "The republic works," Milei said in a translated statement made during his visit to Israel. "All the corrupt journalists, accomplices of politicians, have been exposed in their operetta about the alleged pact of impunity," Milei said. The Federal Oral Court 2 in December 2022 found Kirchner guilty of corruption, sentenced her to prison and imposed a lifetime disqualification from holding public office due to "fraudulent administration to the detriment of the state." She was allowed to stay out of prison while the Supreme Court deliberated the case. Kirchner similarly was charged with fraud in 2016 and was convicted in February 2021, which made her Argentina's first vice president to be convicted of a crime while still in office. She was accused of and convicted of directing 51 public works contracts to a company owned by Kirchner's friend and business associate, Lazaro Baez. The scheme also directed $1 billion to Baez, who is serving a 12-year sentence for a money-laundering conviction in 2021 and was sentenced to another six years in prison for charges arising from the case that resulted inKirchner's conviction.
UPI
11 hours ago
- UPI
Argentina's high court upholds former President Kirchner's conviction
Argentina's Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled former President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner (pictured in 2013) must serve her six-year prison sentence for a corruption conviction. File Photo by Stefano Spaziani/UPI | License Photo June 10 (UPI) -- Former Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner must serve her six-year prison sentence for a corruption conviction, the nation's Supreme Court of Justice ruled on Tuesday. The three-judge court unanimously upheld Kirchner's 2022 corruption conviction and ruled she is banned from holding public office. The conviction arises from how awards for 51 public works projects were issued in what became the "Vialidad" trial. Kirchner, 72, received due process, and the "rulings issued by the lower courts were based on extensive evidence assessed in accordance with the rules of sound judgment and the penal code enacted by Congress," the judges wrote in Tuesday's verdict. She had argued that the trial arose from political persecution because she is an influential leader of the opposition to current Argentine President Javier Milei and his government. Kirchner was Argentina's president from 2007 to 2015. She also was Argentina's vice president from 2019 to 2023. She is a popular leftist politician and recently announced she intended to run for a seat during the Sept. 7 Buenos Aires Province legislative elections. If she were to run and win, the victory would have given Kirchner immunity against imprisonment over the four-year term as a provincial lawmaker. The Supreme Court's decision against her makes it impossible for Kirchner to seek any public office. "The republic works," Milei said in a translated statement made during his visit to Israel. "All the corrupt journalists, accomplices of politicians, have been exposed in their operetta about the alleged pact of impunity," Milei said. The Federal Oral Court 2 in December 2022 found Kirchner guilty of corruption, sentenced her to prison and imposed a lifetime disqualification from holding public office due to "fraudulent administration to the detriment of the state." She was allowed to stay out of prison while the Supreme Court deliberated the case. Kirchner similarly was charged with fraud in 2016 and was convicted in February 2021, which made her Argentina's first vice president to be convicted of a crime while still in office. She was accused of and convicted of directing 51 public works contracts to a company owned by Kirchner's friend and business associate, Lazaro Baez. The scheme also directed $1 billion to Baez, who is serving a 12-year sentence for a money-laundering conviction in 2021 and was sentenced to another six years in prison for charges arising from the case that resulted inKirchner's conviction.
