What Is the Penalty for Bringing Cuban Cigars Into the United States?

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U.S. citizens face penalties in the form of a 10-year prison sentence, $100,000 in corporate fines, $65,000 in civil fines and $25,000 in individual fines for importing Cuban cigars into the United States. Americans are also not allowed to smoke Cuban cigars on foreign lands.

Management over Cuban cigars falls under the legal authority of the U.S. Treasury Department. Americans are only allowed to import Cuban cigars when a trip to Cuba is sanctioned by the government. People who are usually licensed to travel to Cuba include Cuban Americans, journalists, politicians, athletes, researchers and religious groups. Americans are also not allowed to purchase Cuban cigars within the country, and it is illegal to buy the cigars in another country and bring them to the United States.