Narrative:

There is a big problem in clearing us customs at the fort lauderdale executive airport, fxe. It is getting difficult to comply with all regulatory agencies at one place where each agency doesn't know what the other is doing and FAA rules conflict with us customs rules. I have not met one decent, well trained customs officer who has not harassed general aviation pilots. I conducted two round trip flts. I spent two hours ahead of time filling out the required forms, filing flight plans, advising customs in advance of the flts. Having proper customs decal, making sure aircraft is ready to go, life raft and vests in date etc. Basically doing everything I could to prepare for a safe flight and comply with FAA rules, customs rules, tsa rules and new homeland security rules. On my second return trip, us customs advised me that I was lucky #20. I guess this means a complete random inspection/search of all equipment, registration, airworthiness, pilot license, medical certificate, etc. The us customs officer was very unrespectful, rude and unprofessional who seemed to enjoy abusing his authority. He found a can of aircraft plexiglass cleaner in my wing locker and told me it was against FAA regulations to carry it onboard the aircraft. He then called the FAA to tell them and they told him it was ok, which seemed to get him even more abusive. At this point, I asked to see his supervisor and he then told me to wait outside for 1.5 hours. He said I could not use my cell phone, I was even denied water. He called a department of homeland security (they call themselves ice) who interrogated me for another hour and a half. I believe he called homeland security to avert having to call in his supervisor at my request. I never did see his supervisor that day. Homeland security made me feel like a criminal. They said I was a commercial airliner for hire. I am a pilot of my C421 golden eagle and I was flying friends back for which I received no pay. They forced me to purchase a $75,000 customs broker bond which cost me $300 to release my aircraft. In all, they detained me for over 5.5 hours. We cannot let customs abuse their authority. I believe in obeying the laws and I try to, but does customs have the right to treat people like this without themselves being questioned.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C421 PLT WAS DELAYED 5.5 HRS WHILE HE WAS BEING INTERROGATED BY US CUSTOMS AGENTS AND HOMELAND SECURITY AGENTS AT FXE.

Narrative: THERE IS A BIG PROB IN CLRING US CUSTOMS AT THE FORT LAUDERDALE EXECUTIVE ARPT, FXE. IT IS GETTING DIFFICULT TO COMPLY WITH ALL REGULATORY AGENCIES AT ONE PLACE WHERE EACH AGENCY DOESN'T KNOW WHAT THE OTHER IS DOING AND FAA RULES CONFLICT WITH US CUSTOMS RULES. I HAVE NOT MET ONE DECENT, WELL TRAINED CUSTOMS OFFICER WHO HAS NOT HARASSED GENERAL AVIATION PLTS. I CONDUCTED TWO ROUND TRIP FLTS. I SPENT TWO HRS AHEAD OF TIME FILLING OUT THE REQUIRED FORMS, FILING FLT PLANS, ADVISING CUSTOMS IN ADVANCE OF THE FLTS. HAVING PROPER CUSTOMS DECAL, MAKING SURE ACFT IS READY TO GO, LIFE RAFT AND VESTS IN DATE ETC. BASICALLY DOING EVERYTHING I COULD TO PREPARE FOR A SAFE FLT AND COMPLY WITH FAA RULES, CUSTOMS RULES, TSA RULES AND NEW HOMELAND SECURITY RULES. ON MY SECOND RETURN TRIP, US CUSTOMS ADVISED ME THAT I WAS LUCKY #20. I GUESS THIS MEANS A COMPLETE RANDOM INSPECTION/SEARCH OF ALL EQUIPMENT, REGISTRATION, AIRWORTHINESS, PLT LICENSE, MEDICAL CERTIFICATE, ETC. THE US CUSTOMS OFFICER WAS VERY UNRESPECTFUL, RUDE AND UNPROFESSIONAL WHO SEEMED TO ENJOY ABUSING HIS AUTHORITY. HE FOUND A CAN OF ACFT PLEXIGLASS CLEANER IN MY WING LOCKER AND TOLD ME IT WAS AGAINST FAA REGULATIONS TO CARRY IT ONBOARD THE ACFT. HE THEN CALLED THE FAA TO TELL THEM AND THEY TOLD HIM IT WAS OK, WHICH SEEMED TO GET HIM EVEN MORE ABUSIVE. AT THIS POINT, I ASKED TO SEE HIS SUPVR AND HE THEN TOLD ME TO WAIT OUTSIDE FOR 1.5 HRS. HE SAID I COULD NOT USE MY CELL PHONE, I WAS EVEN DENIED WATER. HE CALLED A DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (THEY CALL THEMSELVES ICE) WHO INTERROGATED ME FOR ANOTHER HOUR AND A HALF. I BELIEVE HE CALLED HOMELAND SECURITY TO AVERT HAVING TO CALL IN HIS SUPVR AT MY REQUEST. I NEVER DID SEE HIS SUPVR THAT DAY. HOMELAND SECURITY MADE ME FEEL LIKE A CRIMINAL. THEY SAID I WAS A COMMERCIAL AIRLINER FOR HIRE. I AM A PLT OF MY C421 GOLDEN EAGLE AND I WAS FLYING FRIENDS BACK FOR WHICH I RECEIVED NO PAY. THEY FORCED ME TO PURCHASE A $75,000 CUSTOMS BROKER BOND WHICH COST ME $300 TO RELEASE MY ACFT. IN ALL, THEY DETAINED ME FOR OVER 5.5 HRS. WE CANNOT LET CUSTOMS ABUSE THEIR AUTHORITY. I BELIEVE IN OBEYING THE LAWS AND I TRY TO, BUT DOES CUSTOMS HAVE THE RIGHT TO TREAT PEOPLE LIKE THIS WITHOUT THEMSELVES BEING QUESTIONED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.