THE STOGIE STING

Is there an ongoing law enforcement crackdown on Cuban cigars and the
people who smoke them?

Customs spokesman are mum, but last week Border Patrol agents seized some
$40,000 worth of Cuban cigars from a pick-up truck going through the
checkpoint at San Clemente. Last week also, U.S. Customs agents culminated
a multi-month "sting"operation in Manhattan,arresting nine men, including
managers at two swanky cigar lounges and several high-powered executives,
including the CEOs of two companies.

It could be just a coincidence, or the Manhatten caper could be a publicity
stunt. But Cigar Afficionado magazine notes, in its online edition, that
according to Customs figures, the suitcaser snoopers hauled in 240,523 of
the nectar of nicotine in fiscal 1997 (October 1996 to September 1997),
compared to 92,216 seized Cubanos in fiscal 1996.

Cigars have been enjoying a surge in popularity in recent years; so,it's
just possible more Cuban cigars are being smuggled than in years past. Or
maybe the feds are targeting this high-profile product to help make their
point in ever-larger ways that tobacco is beyond bad for your health; it is
evil.

Whatever the reason, it's all simply nutty. The Manhattan "sting" came
about because Customs nabbed in April a still-unidentified Connecticut
woman (whose customers allegedly call her "Jennifer Corona"). With her
partner (who has been charged, "Jennifer" has not been) she had smuggled
thousands of boxes of Cuban cigars into the United States from Cuba, Spain,
Morocco and France. The feds had their "big fish," and used them to entrap
some smaller fry.

It really is time to end the silliness-numerous agents doing hardship duty
undercover for months in posh "power bars"-by ending the embargo against
Cuba. It hurts the Cuban people and gives Fidel Castro a handy foil on
which to blame his self inflected troubles. And it leads to absurdities
like the Great Cigar Sting.

Checked-by: Mike Gogulski