Florida authorities arrested a Cuban who was caught trying to illegally introduce several boxes of cigarettes into the United States, after arriving at Miami International Airport (MIA) from the Greater Antilles.
According to the authorities’ report, the subject was identified as Alexander Pérez Vera, who arrived in the United States on April 12 aboard Delta Airlines flight 1788, from Havana.
The 50-year-old man was questioned by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers about whether he had checked luggage. He, in an apparent attempt to hide the contraband, denied having it.
Shortly after, the man changed his statement, this after officers confirmed the presence of two suitcases registered in his name. The subject’s suspicious attitude caused the officers to carry out an inspection of his luggage, finding 97 cartons of H. Upmann brand cigarettes.
In total, the boxes contained some 19,400 cigarettes, which had not been declared by the Cuban, nor taxed.
The Homeland Security Investigations Office (HSI) at the MIA proceeded to seize the illegal shipment and place Pérez Vera under arrest.
According to the media Telemundo 51a member of the State of Florida Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco confirmed the illegality of the seized cigarettes, and confirmed that Pérez Vera has been arrested in the past.
According to official records, the man has been arrested five times since December 2022 by MIA CBP officers for similar reasons.
After his arrest, the Cuban was transferred to the Turner Guilford Knight (TGK) Correctional Center in Miami-Dade County, where he faces charges of acquiring, possessing and transporting illegal cigarettes with the intention of introducing them into the United States to sell.
The authorities issued a statement in which they warned US citizens about the prohibition of bringing alcohol and tobacco products of Cuban origin into the country, since their presence in luggage is not permitted. They also point out that the products will be confiscated and destroyed by the North American authorities.
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