I hate to burst your bubble, but you may want to look at the FedEx rates for shipping items from Mexico to US before attempting this endeavour. I just went to the Mexico FedEx site, and to ship a 10" X 10" X 10" box that weighs 5 lbs. through their International First Rate (which I assume is Priority Overnight) from Cancun, MX to San Antonio, TX, you're looking at 977.38 pesos, or around $100. Now I'm being conservative about the box size and weight. I'd assume you'd have to track down a styrofoam ice box and packaging in Mexico to transport these fish. That's at least another $10 - $20 US. To get it 'Up North', you probably should add another 20% to my cost for shipping it to TX. You also need the following documentation:
Important for Customs: To prevent delays, your shipment must have the following customs documents attached: Commercial Invoice, Certificate of Origin, Shippers Export Declaration
The only reason I'd see why you'd want to do this is if you're trying to bring back exotics that cost several hundred dollars in the US. Where exactly are you getting this livestock? Is there some 'fish store' down there you know of that sells livestock to the public like they do here? I've snorkeled and dived down in Mexico on several occassions, and I don't know of any of these 'tours' that allow you to bring back livestock from a trip. That's their bread and butter, and they don't want tourists taking their livelihood out of the ocean. So you'd have to hire a private charter or rent your own boat to get the fish in the first place. Then you'd have to find the right location to find the fish you want, and have the proper equipment to catch them without harming them. You'll need a live well that will hold the fish after you catch them. You'll also need an aerator or some device to supply air while you transport them from the beach to the FedEx store.
Also, I just looked up a Mexican Fishing License from one of these tourist sites. One line on the license reads, "It is illegal to capture and maintain alive any fish for ornamental purposes." So if you come back with this livestock, and they catch you at the dock with it, you'll at least incur a heavy fine, if not jail time. Believe me, you DON'T want to get put into a Mexican jail.
So I'm taking it you're going to some coastal Mexican resort with your family, and you think you'd could save money by catching your own fancy fish, and shipping them back home overnight to a buddy who has a tank to keep them for you until you get home. Well as you see by my examples, what it'll cost you to rent a private boat, avoid getting caught bringing them back to shore, then shipping them overnight with the possibility of the livestock not even surviving the trip, you're better off driving down to your LFS and picking the fish you want from there. Believe me, it'll be cheaper. But hey, it's your time and money. Give it a shot. But don't come crying here when you get back from you vacation, and tell us how you spent $600 to get 5 or 10 real fancy fish, only to find out they all died by the time they got to your home.
