My N expired this month, so I have passed it along to someone I consider most "deserving".
I intend to buy more in time as it does feel good to have that option to hand.
Some things I'd like to add here:
*Sending money to Mexico is not easy. Along with a number of central African nations, it has become notorious for scammers. Many agents and banks simply will not be any part of it. I had to use Western Union. Despite having a long time online account, I was forced to use cash at an agent and present my passport.
*The list of "prohibited items" for sending to the US is vast. Adhering to the details, it seems as though almost everything is prohibited. But I get the impression items are more likely to be examined/intercepted coming from specific countries of origin. (Mexio, Pakistan/India/Indonesia/Phillipines are some I'm aware of). The declaration I wrote on the package was included in the "prohibited items", yet it still made it through.
*It would be so easy for authorities to catch A if you think about it. Hence, I personally believe there's more to it than first meets the eye.
*Some of my "colleagues" regularly send items to the US. I try to avoid it as their is an extradition treaty and being charged with international drug smuggling is not high on my bucket list. Howeever, I've done it a hanful of times and not ever had an issue. Remember, the single biggest tool US customs have in preventing importation of illicit substances is those ridiculous TV shows where they congratulate themselves on what a fantastic job they're doing. It's called "scaremongering". The reality is the sheer volume of mail passing through every day along with the limited resources available to them, means their efforts are largely ineffective. They actually state this themselves in PDF documents (never regular online content).
*Regardless of who,where or how you buy your N,it's always a gamble. My best advice is to be as careful as possible and expect nothing. Then, at least there's no disappointment.