Latest news with #JaimeRuiz
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Why it can take hours to get through customs at LAX for some unlucky travellers
International travelers arriving at Los Angeles International Airport should expect some of the longest wait times in the country to make it through customs en route to their destination, according to data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Every day, thousands of foreign visitors arrive at Southern California's biggest travel hub on their way to visit family, conduct business or tour the region. But first, they need to pass through Customs. In fiscal year 2024, CBP says the agency processed more than 420 million travelers at ports of entry nationwide, up 6.6% from the year before. Thousands of those people passed through LAX, according to CBP data updated daily with the airport averaging 550 foreign arrivals every hour last summer, making it the busiest international terminal in the country at the time. With the high volume also came a dubious distinction: LAX arrivals had the second longest customs wait times of any major airport, averaging more than 30 minutes in line from June through August 2024. Only Chicago O'Hare International Airport was worse. Though the 30-minute wait time for foreign travelers was an average over the past 12 months, during peak travel periods, the wait was significantly longer, data shows. For noncitizens, during last year's Labor Day weekend, travelers waited an average of 113 minutes and during the biggest backup, at least one unlucky passenger waited 245 minutes, or more than four hours, to make it through customs. U.S. citizens returning from abroad had much shorter wait times at LAX last summer — just under 19 minutes on average — but compared to other major airports, LAX was still third slowest for customs. Only O'Hare and Orlando International Airport saw longer waits. On July 19, a TikTok user posted a video of a hellish line leading to customs, captioned "everyone back from their hot euro summer." Two days later, another TikTok user posted an even longer line. His caption asked how the city could possibly fix the situation in time to host the Olympics in 2028. The worst time of summer 2024 to arrive at LAX's international terminal was also Labor Day weekend, when wait times for U.S. citizens topped out at 74 minutes on average with a staggering peak wait time of 205 minutes, well over three hours. And according to the latest data, the pace of arrivals is again picking up as we head into the busy summer travel season. Customs arrivals were up nearly 4% year-over-year in April at LAX's Tom Bradley International Terminal, per data from Los Angeles World Airports, suggesting that this summer may be even busier than last year. "Post-COVID, we have seen exponential growth," said Jaime Ruiz, a CBP spokesperson. "There have been more flights, more travelers." Many arrivals are long-haul flights, he said, and they often overlap, with weather and scheduling issues compounding the crowding at customs. "Wait time is kind of a moving target. It's a day-to-day situation," Ruiz said. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
02-06-2025
- Los Angeles Times
Why it can take hours to get through customs at LAX for some unlucky travellers
International travelers arriving at Los Angeles International Airport should expect some of the longest wait times in the country to make it through customs en route to their destination, according to data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Every day, thousands of foreign visitors arrive at Southern California's biggest travel hub on their way to visit family, conduct business or tour the region. But first, they need to pass through Customs. In fiscal year 2024, CBP says the agency processed more than 420 million travelers at ports of entry nationwide, up 6.6% from the year before. Thousands of those people passed through LAX, according to CBP data updated daily with the airport averaging 550 foreign arrivals every hour last summer, making it the busiest international terminal in the country at the time. With the high volume also came a dubious distinction: LAX arrivals had the second longest customs wait times of any major airport, averaging more than 30 minutes in line from June through August 2024. Only Chicago O'Hare International Airport was worse. Though the 30-minute wait time for foreign travelers was an average over the past 12 months, during peak travel periods, the wait was significantly longer, data shows. For noncitizens, during last year's Labor Day weekend, travelers waited an average of 113 minutes and during the biggest backup, at least one unlucky passenger waited 245 minutes, or more than four hours, to make it through customs. U.S. citizens returning from abroad had much shorter wait times at LAX last summer — just under 19 minutes on average — but compared to other major airports, LAX was still third slowest for customs. Only O'Hare and Orlando International Airport saw longer waits. On July 19, a TikTok user posted a video of a hellish line leading to customs, captioned 'everyone back from their hot euro summer.' Two days later, another TikTok user posted an even longer line. His caption asked how the city could possibly fix the situation in time to host the Olympics in 2028. The worst time of summer 2024 to arrive at LAX's international terminal was also Labor Day weekend, when wait times for U.S. citizens topped out at 74 minutes on average with a staggering peak wait time of 205 minutes, well over three hours. And according to the latest data, the pace of arrivals is again picking up as we head into the busy summer travel season. Customs arrivals were up nearly 4% year-over-year in April at LAX's Tom Bradley International Terminal, per data from Los Angeles World Airports, suggesting that this summer may be even busier than last year. 'Post-COVID, we have seen exponential growth,' said Jaime Ruiz, a CBP spokesperson. 'There have been more flights, more travelers.' Many arrivals are long-haul flights, he said, and they often overlap, with weather and scheduling issues compounding the crowding at customs. 'Wait time is kind of a moving target. It's a day-to-day situation,' Ruiz said.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Yahoo
CBP seizes massive haul of 150,000 illegal cigarettes from cruise passengers in California
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers in Southern California have reportedly seized a massive haul of illegally imported cigarettes intercepted from two cruise ship passengers last month. Officers assigned to the Los Angeles/Long Beach Seaport discovered roughly 150,000 cigarettes, stored in 749 cartons across 10 pieces of luggage, from a couple arriving from Ensenada, Mexico, on April 17, according to a CBP press release. Cbp Officers Seize Over $14M Of Alleged Methamphetamine At Southern Border CBP estimated the seizure — which included, but was not limited to, 326 cartons of Newport 100s and 210 cartons of Marlboro Golds — to be worth some $59,920, assuming a low-end selling price of $80 per unit. "This is definitely a big bust," Jaime Ruiz, the CBP's Strategic Media Engagement Branch Chief for most of the Western U.S., told Fox News Digital. Ruiz called it "one of the largest we've seen at the LA:Long Beach seaport complex." The women presented themselves for inspection after disembarking at the Long Beach Cruise Ship Terminal, at which point the cigarette stash was found. Read On The Fox News App Despite providing purchase receipts, they were unable to produce permits for transportation of such a quantity of tobacco products. Sinaloa Cartel Leaders Charged With Narco-terrorism After Authorities Seize 1.65 Tons Of Fentanyl "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," said Africa R. Bell, CBP Port Director of the Los Angeles/Long Beach Seaport, according to the release. "This type of scheme not only evades revenue owed to the United States but may be harmful to the American consumer," Bell continued, noting that "CBP officers at our nation's largest seaport complex remain committed to enforcing our laws and to protect the American public." Australian Authorities Intercept Over A Ton Of Cocaine Worth $400M Investigation into the incident may continue, notes FOX 11 Los Angeles, and the women may be subject to penalties for violating import laws. But the "immediate consequence," Ruiz noted, "is that now there is a negative record and, by default, they have incurred a significant loss of nearly $60K." That loss, Ruiz continued, is realized in the seizure and destruction of the cigarettes. "Travelers who intentionally disregard U.S. importation laws and regulations often pay a high price," Cheryl M. Davies, CBP Director of Field Operations in Los Angeles, said in the article source: CBP seizes massive haul of 150,000 illegal cigarettes from cruise passengers in California
Fox News
15-05-2025
- Fox News
CBP seizes massive haul of 150,000 illegal cigarettes from cruise passengers in California
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers in Southern California have reportedly seized a massive haul of illegally imported cigarettes intercepted from two cruise ship passengers last month. Officers assigned to the Los Angeles/Long Beach Seaport discovered roughly 150,000 cigarettes, stored in 749 cartons across 10 pieces of luggage, from a couple arriving from Ensenada, Mexico, on April 17, according to a CBP press release. CBP estimated the seizure — which included, but was not limited to, 326 cartons of Newport 100s and 210 cartons of Marlboro Golds — to be worth some $59,920, assuming a low-end selling price of $80 per unit. "This is definitely a big bust," Jaime Ruiz, the CBP's Strategic Media Engagement Branch Chief for most of the Western U.S., told Fox News Digital. Ruiz called it "one of the largest we've seen at the LA:Long Beach seaport complex." The women presented themselves for inspection after disembarking at the Long Beach Cruise Ship Terminal, at which point the cigarette stash was found. Despite providing purchase receipts, they were unable to produce permits for transportation of such a quantity of tobacco products. "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," said Africa R. Bell, CBP Port Director of the Los Angeles/Long Beach Seaport, according to the release. "This type of scheme not only evades revenue owed to the United States but may be harmful to the American consumer," Bell continued, noting that "CBP officers at our nation's largest seaport complex remain committed to enforcing our laws and to protect the American public." Investigation into the incident may continue, notes FOX 11 Los Angeles, and the women may be subject to penalties for violating import laws. But the "immediate consequence," Ruiz noted, "is that now there is a negative record and, by default, they have incurred a significant loss of nearly $60K." That loss, Ruiz continued, is realized in the seizure and destruction of the cigarettes. "Travelers who intentionally disregard U.S. importation laws and regulations often pay a high price," Cheryl M. Davies, CBP Director of Field Operations in Los Angeles, said in the release.
Yahoo
28-01-2025
- Yahoo
Feds Bust $200 Million Counterfeit Ring at Los Angeles, Long Beach Ports
Nine people have been charged in connection with a scheme to smuggle at least $200 million worth of counterfeit and other illegal goods from China into the U.S. via the San Pedro Bay port complex of Los Angeles and Long Beach. A 15-count indictment levied by the U.S. Attorney's Office, unsealed on Friday, charges nine defendants with conspiracy, smuggling and breaking customs seals. The scheme took place from at least August 2023 to June 2024, the statement read. More from Sourcing Journal East Coast Strike Scare Sparked Clear Shift in December Amid East Coast Port Drama and Tariff Tensions, Port of LA Announces Second Busiest Year on Record A Peek Inside India's $9 Billion Vadhvan Port Project During the investigation, law enforcement seized more than $130 million in unspecified contraband, but authorities believe the true value of smuggled product throughout the ring to be north of $200 million. According to the indictment, a search of one warehouse used by the group led to the June 2024 seizure of $20 million worth of counterfeit items including shoes, perfume, luxury handbags, apparel and watches. The defendants allegedly took containers flagged for off-site secondary inspection by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), unloaded the contraband, then stuffed the targeted containers with filler cargo to deceive customs officials and evade law enforcement. 'It was a team of CBP agriculture specialists assigned to the Los Angeles/Long Beach seaport who in 2023, during a routine examination of a container made the initial discovery,' said Cheryl Davies, director of field operations in Los Angeles for the CBP. 'This case attests to their unwavering vigilance, upmost professionalism and keen focus in protecting the integrity of lawful trade, a key component of our critical national security mission.' According to the CBP, the specialists noticed that the security seal appeared to have been tampered with and that the cargo inside did not match what was on the shipping manifest. Prosecutors said the counterfeit security seals are used to deceive customs officials and were also shipped to the U.S. from China. According to U.S. CBP spokesperson Jaime Ruiz, the charges involve the largest trade fraud on record at the Los Angeles-Long Beach port complex. To date, law enforcement has seized more than $1.3 billion worth of counterfeit goods associated with this and similar seal-swapping schemes. 'Secure seaports and borders are critical to our national security,' said acting United States Attorney Joseph McNally. 'The smuggling of huge amounts of contraband from China through our nation's largest port hurts American businesses and consumers. The charges and arrests here demonstrate our commitment to enforce our customs laws and keep the American public safe.' According to an announcement Monday, eight suspects have been arrested, with seven taken into custody on Friday and one taken in on Saturday. Weijun Zheng, 57, 'the lone fugitive' in the case, according to the release, remains at large and is believed to be in China, where the ring's criminal partners are believed to also reside. Prosecutors allege Zheng controls several logistics companies operating in the Los Angeles area. The indictment said Zheng, 32-year-old Hexi Wang, 42-year-old Jin 'Mark' Liu and others maintained and operated warehouses to store, conceal and sell large amounts of contraband goods that were illegally imported into the United States from China. Another defendant, 31-year-old Dong 'Liam' Lin, controlled and operated one of the warehouses where contraband was unloaded, alongside Zheng. Wang and Liu are the respective manager and owner of K&P International Logistics LLC, a company that hires commercial truckers to transport shipping containers from the Port of Los Angeles. Liu allegedly managed the finances of one of the contraband-stored warehouses and issued payments to truck drivers who transported smuggled goods. Five more defendants were involved in the bust, all playing different roles in the scheme. Marck Anthony Gomez, 49, owns and operates Fannum Trucks LLC, a trucking company that is accused of coordinating the movement of contraband-filled shipping containers from the Port of Los Angeles. Andy Estuardo Castillo Perez, 32, a driver for another trucking company, M4 Transportation Inc., transported shipping containers out of the twin ports. Jesse James Rosales and Daniel Acosta Hoffman, both 41, coordinated truckers from the ports to warehouses. Another conspirator, 33-year-old Galvin Biao Liufu, directed and managed truck drivers to bring the contraband into the warehouses. The truck drivers involved earned about $10,000 for each illegal shipment, according to prosecutors. These drivers typically earn $200 to $300 each time they move a shipping container. 'Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Los Angeles and its partners are committed to enforcing customs laws and practices, facilitating legitimate trade and protecting the integrity of the nation's supply chain,' said HSI Los Angeles special agent in charge Eddy Wang, in a statement. 'The $1.3 billion dollars' worth of contraband seized during the investigation into this type of scheme illuminates how complex smuggling schemes try to exploit our legitimate trade practices and the American consumer.' If convicted of all charges, the nine defendants would face a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for each conspiracy count, up to 10 years in federal prison for each count of breaking customs seals and up to 20 years in prison for each smuggling count. The seven arrested last week were arraigned Friday, where each pleaded not guilty to the charges against them. A trial date was scheduled for March 18. The eighth defendant, who was arrested on unrelated state charges, is expected to be arraigned in federal court in the coming days.
