Profiling of Divers at Los Cabos Airport

[Chrisk919]

Maybe it will be a boon for smartphone photography. "No, I don't have a camera."

I will admit, some of the smartphone housings recently look interesting, but I wonder if they won’t find a way to still “tax” those… they are already ignoring the letter of the law in the OPs case (2 cameras are allowed, technically)

 

[js1221]

I will admit, some of the smartphone housings recently look interesting, but I wonder if they won’t find a way to still “tax” those… they are already ignoring the letter of the law in the OPs case (2 cameras are allowed, technically)

The tax isn’t on the cameras anyway, the tax is on the housing or whatever the customs agent decides is an accessory. If you look like a mark, they send you to have your bags searched. There, if they will find the housing, they will charge you the 19% based on whatever price they find on the internet.

 

[Nemrod]

There are thousands of people going through San Jose del Cabo airport every day who are not divers or serious photographers. I doubt the few who are deciding to avoid Cabo would make any difference to the resorts and the liveaboards are small potatoes.

Be that as it may, there are other places to go so I will not be one of them.

 

[Joneill]

Which corrupt country are you talking about?

Video shows TSA agents stealing from passenger bags at checkpoint

These TSA agents forgot the most important part of airport security: CCTV cameras

www.independent.co.uk

Mexico... Cabo airport specifically. Your link is a completely different issue and irrelevant to the systemic fleecing that appears to be happening in Cabo and, based on multiple reports I've seen here, is ignored and allowed to continue by Mexican authorities - unlike your example where the TSA agents were arrested and, hopefully, will be prosecuted... and were caught by authorities reacting to reports of theft.

I have opened my luggage at a destination and found a form inside saying my bag had been checked by TSA and realized stuff had been taken. It was all pretty minor stuff, but it was still pure theft. I think they stuck to minor stuff so that they know TSA would ignore my complains (which they did). If they had taken something serious, there would have been an investigation.

I've had TSA forms in my bag many times but have never had anything taken.

 

[markloch]

Mexico... Cabo airport specifically. Your link is a completely different issue and irrelevant to the systemic fleecing that appears to be happening in Cabo and, based on multiple reports I've seen here, is ignored and allowed to continue by Mexican authorities - unlike your example where the TSA agents were arrested and, hopefully, will be prosecuted... and were caught by authorities reacting to reports of theft.

I've had TSA forms in my bag many times but have never had anything taken.

A friend found the “inspected by TSA” card in the bag of weed he had in his checked luggage.

 

[jnash467]

After passing through the passport check, retrieving our luggage, and then unluckily getting the “Red” light, we had our luggage searched. In my carryon I had the bulk of my camera gear. In our two pieces of luggage I had a housing each. They searched my carry on, and asked if the case for my 100-400 was a housing. I of course said “No”, he then asked if I had a housing in that luggage, I again said “No”. He then rifled through the other pieces of luggage, but I had the housings wrapped up in our wet suits. But he didn’t dig around too deep. So he didn’t find them. They ignored my GoPro case, and video light case.
I had read about this happening on this board, so I included my sales receipt in each respective housing in case they searched.
this happened in January of 2023.

 

[auto]

Going through CSL airport today with camera as checked baggage. I will let you know how it goes, I can passably speak basic Spanish, and this is private airport with more of an affluent passenger profile. I am an expert at protesting CC transactions.

 

[Knockneed Man]

It sounds like it's time to draw some attention to this matter. I highly doubt Nautilus or anyone with a business interest there in Cabo is going to want to put themselves or their business in jeopardy with the government, but the international tourists themselves certainly can - and at the airport from a little room isn't the time to do it.

I would highly recommend using a random gmail account to email and cc as many as possible with the litany of disputes, incidents, etc. Pointing it out to one person or department isn't going to do anything, but if you cc the directors of the Los Cabos Airport, the US Mexican Embassy, Mexican Customs Agency, the Cabo Sun (or other) newspaper, etc; all on one email and draw attention to the matter from multiple angles, they're going to feel the need to address it. I would start a gmail account titled diversagainstloscabosairport@gmail.com or something to that affect, and use a plural reference to indicate this isn't a complaint from an individual, but rather a group who has experienced this in mass.

With only a three minute hasty search, it's easy to begin a list of contacts to add to the email:

Francisco Villaseñor Reyes - director of the los cabos airport
svillarreal@aeropuertosgap.com.mx - Saúl Villarreal García, Chief Financial Officer
mexembusa@sre.gob.mx - mexican / US embassy contact
Info@thecabosun.com - Cabo Sun Newspaper story leads

It's easy to start cutting and pasting these in quotation marks into the search bar and just keep adding names, address, etc. It might be find, say the direct email address for General André Georges Foullon Van Lissum, who is the Mexican head of customs, but if you search and just add a ton of randoms, I would think it would make its way up the chain of command.
You can even submit it as a story lead for Fox News if nothing else: https://help.foxnews.com/hc/en-us/requests/new

But the squeaky wheel gets the grease....

 

[O-ring]

Buena suerte con eso!

 

[auto]

So...no more FBO at CSL, new building. Very efficient, nice, free beer and tequila prior to customs, then luggage screening. Not quite red/green. Had to open up the camera case, after x ray. Then it started, focused on the housing I kept repeating 1 camera, personal use not professional/work. Repeated Mexican rules for entry , repeated no tax required. Had a altered invoice with a date 6 years in the past. Explained value goes down, they let me go without paying anything. I feel without my rudimentary Spanish would have been screwed. This the first time this has ever happened, and find it irritating. Buneo Suerte buscaderos