HELP on foreign custom policy when entering Mexico from the US?

Question

Travelers and customs policy in foreign countries?

i went to visit a friend in mexico and in my bag, there were seriously like 2 bags of cookies. the guy checked my luggage gave me a hard time and said why i dindt declare the food. i said i thought it was only if you had brought animal products or vegetables. he took my passport and made a copy of it. what is going to happen to me next?? im scared. this was entering Mexico. they made me press this button and it turned red, so they checked my luggage. what i'm scared of is that he made a copy of my passport...what does that mean?

Answer 1

Yes, the red and green light is random. When you get red, you get all your bags checked by hand, and I know some customs officers can give you a hard time. Don't worry nothing will happen to you because of that copy of your passport. Customs officers should be taking more care of other things being brought into the country than cookies!!!

If to his judgement what you were carrying was illegal, all he could have done is to take the cookies from you. If he saw that the quantity qualified for an import, what he should have done is to send you to pay the import taxes, that's all!!!

Answer 2

Im not really sure why he made copy of your passport, but I can tell you that the button thing is actually random. Everyone has to press the button, some get red and some green, so red, they have to check your bags all the way, green you are free to pass even if you have 10 bags. I ve never had red when I go over there so I cannot tell you what will happen next. I recommend checking with a local consulate Mexican office and they can tell you if that was a legal move or not. Good luck man.

Answer 3

It does not mean a thing.  All passports are getting scanned these days.  They are just doing that to try to catch people with false documents.  I am sure they will not even record the incident of the cookies.

Answer 4

It is a mere precaution...

They will put the information that you the the "Illeagal cookies xD" on a record... They can't put you in jail for "Possesion of cookies"

Chill... it is their job to make sure you don't bring the chocolate goodness of our country to theirs XD