Last month, our friend Bernie from Havana Club Honolulu, gave us some insight into the legality issue with Cuban cigars. If you are still have any question in your mind about how much trouble you can get into handling Cubans, check out this information found in some online searching: (Courtesy of Cigar News)

 

           Fort Myers, FL: Two men have been indicted for bringing Cuban cigars and rum into the U.S., according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Douglas Hiner, 68, and Martin Sengseis, 43, were both charged in separate smuggling cases.

Hiner's 53-foot sloop "Vitamin Sea" was boarded by the U.S. Coast Guard and Customs and Border Patrol as he returned from Havana on May 13th.

Agents say they found 361 Cuban cigars, as well as cigarettes. A search of the vessel turned up 26 specialized compartments built for smuggling, prosecutors say.

That find lead agents to a storage facility where they say they found 27,000 assorted Cuban cigars and 42 bottles of Cuban rum.

Sengseis ran his 51-foot sailboat aground on February 27th near Fort Myers Beach as he returned from Havana.

The Coast Guard crew that responded to the scene noticed several items that were clearly from Cuba out in plain view.

A thorough search of the Austrian-flagged "Golden Eagle" yielded 364 boxes of Cuban cigars, 45 bottles of Cuban rum, 30 pounds of Cuban coffee and 100 cartons of Cuban cigarettes in specialized smuggling compartments, authorities say.

Each man faces a maximum of 20 years in prison for bringing the contraband Cuban products into the U.S.

Winestock proudly carries Camacho cigars from the Havana Club.

 

Come in to see our selection!

 

 

Winestock

614 South St. #104

Honolulu

Picture courtesy of stogieguys.com

             Recently I learned that there are quite a few businesses that are donating cigars to our men and women in Iraq and Afghanistan. Apparently, cigars are regularly at the top of the list of things that the troops request while stationed there.

 

Thompson cigars boasts a donation of over 300,000 cigars to our troops since 2002, and the number is continuing to grow.

 

Locally, there are some folks involved in this same kind of donation. Cigar Cigar has donated approx. 2400 cigars according to the owner, over the past few years.

 

During checks with other local stores, the program is not as widespread as it maybe should be, but you can still find a way to donate through Thompson or the MWR of your local military establishment.

 

Please remember that this program has nothing to do with whether you support the war or its policies, it’s just there to make life a little more tolerable for our troops while they’re away from home.