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Passport control and customs are two separate things. I usually walk through passport control, then wait for bags, then through customs at pretty much every airport I can think of (after an international flight). I can't recall a time where I grabbed my bags before passport control.
That said, customs 50% of the time is literally just walking through an area while some agents look at you. The other roughly 50% of the time is when you actually have to stand in line and scan your bags, and so forth. So quite literally half the time if you didn't pay attention you would be walking through customs without noticing at all. (I've flown internationally about 15 times in the past year)
Just came back from Cartagena to Miami and had to collect my checked bag and recheck it to my hometown in SC.
Before immigration there was a large sign stating to discard all agricultural predicts or face a $300 fine. Looks like some did not do it.
While waiting at baggage carousel 8, I saw the customs official walking with is super friendly spaniel sniffer dog who was sniffing the carry-ons and backpacks of people who were waiting for the checked bag to arrive. That dog caught at least two passengers that I witnessed. The officer made one lady open her carryon and she had an apple and orange in a large ziplock bag. He discarded in a large waste plastic container he was wheeling around and then came back, took her immigration / customs ticket and scribbled something on it - two or three lines. I suspect she will not only be fined $300 but lose any Global Entry / TSA Pre and be blacklisted every time she arrives in USA. It might be worse for visitors.
I took a photo of the dog but am a bit concerned about posting it here. Anyway, another reason for customs to make you take your bag and recheck. In the time you are waiting for the bag, they can nab you if you bring in illegal products.
There might be few who might be traveling with no checked bag but most do. I did not see the dog after the bags started arriving on the carousel.
super friendly spaniel sniffer dog who was sniffing
I've read they often favor beagles in airports for this reason, they are somewhat goofy cute so they don't alarm passengers in crowded confines of airports, but beagles are basically hunting scent hounds that have a sharper nose than the larger traditional police dog breeds.
We once saw one signal on a couple's luggage in the line to exit customs in LAX, they didn't open them up right there like what you saw, but led them away I assume to some baggage search area. That would suck so much since even if a false hit, see you in a half hour pal.
I've read they often favor beagles in airports for this reason, they are somewhat goofy cute so they don't alarm passengers in crowded confines of airports, but beagles are basically hunting scent hounds that have a sharper nose than the larger traditional police dog breeds.
We once saw one signal on a couple's luggage in the line to exit customs in LAX, they didn't open them up right there like what you saw, but led them away I assume to some baggage search area. That would suck so much since even if a false hit, see you in a half hour pal.
It could have been a beagle since I am not very knowledgeable about small and medium breeds. I have a German Shepard and can recognize a Golden retriever and Labrador.
I did not want to take a photo of him taking out the zip lock with the fruits from the women's bag or writing the citation in case he gets angry and gives me a citation, or worse, detains me for taking photos of customs officials in a no photo zone. I did not want to jeopardize my Global Entry
But I did sneak a photo of the dog from a distance and the trashcan he was wheeling.
Miami is particularly strict about agricultural inspection over legit concerns about invasive species hitting Florida farmers hard. One contraband orange infected with medfly larvae can easily cause a million dollars or more of crop damage if the resulting outbreak not quickly contained.
Indeed. Hawaii, Florida, and California are all extremely sensitive about what comes in that could harm their ecosystems.
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