I guess Homeland Security is doing their job....

In reply to alfadriver:

I stayed out of the riots thread

Executive order to grant amnesty to the cars that came here in search of a better life!

What are the chances that this thing is here legally with all it's papers?

http://austin.craigslist.org/cto/4798723525.html

In reply to Nick_Comstock:

It's an 87 and could legally be imported if they wanted to..

Nick_Comstock wrote: What are the chances that this thing is here legally with all it's papers? http://austin.craigslist.org/cto/4798723525.html

It definitely is legal to import. But it's just an R31 Skyline GTS, it's not worth $15k.

CBP went for a soft target with a small audience to show that they're doing their job. That's pretty much it. They could make a big show by taking a picture of all the illegals that they rounded up that week, like they do when the make a big drug bust, but that would cause a massive blow back from immigrant rights groups.

The import community can't even get 100k signatures together to elicit a response on the 25 year rule from the White House. Why not do a bit of showboating when the risk of political blow back is low?

I don't have any tolerance for VIN swapping so I really don't feel bad for the Mini.

Homeland Security is a misnomer. After 9/11, Bush needed a fancy name for for the goat rope he was creating by merging Treasury and Justice agencies. The FBI is responsible for the actual security of the homeland. The folks who seized the Mini were Customs officers. If not for G Dub, they would still be part of the oldest federal law enforcement agency, US Customs.

Honey badger don't give a berkeley

Dumb ass laws are dumb.

And whole import laws are some of the dumbest.

That reminds me that I haven't registered my Alfa yet...

A large part of what Homeland Security Investigations does is customs stuff. The other day I saw a bunch of counterfeit Ford direct ignition coils that had been seized coming in from China. The name change was dumb, but it is what it is.

The stupidity of the laws around the 25 year rule is what causes this BS. Sure we can write our congressperson but when has that EVER worked in the citizen's favor when there's corporate money behind the laws? Hmm? These laws are only here because some Mercedes executive got his panties in a knot about grey market imports and paid to get the laws changed.

And anyone saying "it's the law, it's easy to follow" better not be speeding ever or breaking any number of traffic laws. Immoral and incredibly stupid laws are ripe for the general citizenry break.

I still find it amusing that you can legally import and daily use a car 25 years old or older, but a more modern version of the same car, with better safety equipment, better emissions equipment and the like is forbidden... Puts to lie the reasoning that they generally use to say a car is illegal (unsafe, won't pass emissions, etc). So we see people trying to skirt the laws, which is no more immoral than driving too fast. I mean, we're not talking murder or physically harming other people...

I completely didn't realize Customs fell under DHS. D'oh!

Chris_V wrote: And anyone saying "it's the law, it's easy to follow" better not be speeding ever or breaking any number of traffic laws. Immoral and incredibly stupid laws are ripe for the general citizenry break.

I'll say it. It's the law, it's easy to follow. If you break it, be prepared to suffer the consequences. The consequence of this particular law is to have your car taken and crushed. This wasn't the first one crushed and there are many people that agree with you so, it won't be the last.

I may or may not have exceeded the speed limit on the way to work. If I had, and was caught, I was prepared to suffer the consequences. Those consequences didn't include having my car crushed.

Personally, I don't agree with the import laws. I think they are overbearing and stupid. My thinking it's a stupid law doesn't change it and since I don't want my car crushed, I'll buy a lawful car. It's not like you can't find a Mini around here to buy.