B757 captain reports flight attendant being removed upon arrival by us customs with passengers on bo...

Narrative:

Flight attendant #2 was detained at united states customs in aruba on flight. Customs officials would not give me any information. Later; flight attendant #2 told me that customs was doing random searches of flight attendants' luggage and personal effects because 'some flight attendants have been sneaking drugs in through ZZZ.' he said that they did a complete search of his luggage (literally tore it apart) and made him empty his pockets. He said that he had 'stilnox' in his suitcase. Customs wanted to know why he didn't have a prescription for it. When we arrived at gate in ZZZ; customs met the airplane and made everyone stay seated. They took flight attendant #2 off of the airplane and detained him. Once again; they would not give me any information. We had over 90 passenger on board and did not have minimum flight attendant crew manning because customs pulled flight attendant #2 off of the airplane. I am reporting this and requesting that customs be notified of the FAA rules about manning requirements. They apparently have no idea of these FAA FARS.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757 CAPTAIN REPORTS FLIGHT ATTENDANT BEING REMOVED UPON ARRIVAL BY US CUSTOMS WITH PASSENGERS ON BOARD; LEAVING THE FLT CREW IN TECHNICAL VIOLATION OF FARS CONCERNING MINIMUM CABIN CREW.

Narrative: FLT ATTENDANT #2 WAS DETAINED AT UNITED STATES CUSTOMS IN ARUBA ON FLT. CUSTOMS OFFICIALS WOULD NOT GIVE ME ANY INFO. LATER; FLT ATTENDANT #2 TOLD ME THAT CUSTOMS WAS DOING RANDOM SEARCHES OF FLT ATTENDANTS' LUGGAGE AND PERSONAL EFFECTS BECAUSE 'SOME FLT ATTENDANTS HAVE BEEN SNEAKING DRUGS IN THROUGH ZZZ.' HE SAID THAT THEY DID A COMPLETE SEARCH OF HIS LUGGAGE (LITERALLY TORE IT APART) AND MADE HIM EMPTY HIS POCKETS. HE SAID THAT HE HAD 'STILNOX' IN HIS SUITCASE. CUSTOMS WANTED TO KNOW WHY HE DIDN'T HAVE A PRESCRIPTION FOR IT. WHEN WE ARRIVED AT GATE IN ZZZ; CUSTOMS MET THE AIRPLANE AND MADE EVERYONE STAY SEATED. THEY TOOK FLT ATTENDANT #2 OFF OF THE AIRPLANE AND DETAINED HIM. ONCE AGAIN; THEY WOULD NOT GIVE ME ANY INFO. WE HAD OVER 90 PAX ON BOARD AND DID NOT HAVE MINIMUM FLT ATTENDANT CREW MANNING BECAUSE CUSTOMS PULLED FLT ATTENDANT #2 OFF OF THE AIRPLANE. I AM RPTING THIS AND REQUESTING THAT CUSTOMS BE NOTIFIED OF THE FAA RULES ABOUT MANNING REQUIREMENTS. THEY APPARENTLY HAVE NO IDEA OF THESE FAA FARS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.

Attributes
ACN	755318
Time
Date	200709
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : parked ground : maintenance
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
ASRS Report	755318
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Cabin Crew Human Performance Company
Primary Problem	Company

B757 captain reports flight attendant being removed upon arrival by us customs with passengers on board; leaving the flight crew in technical violation of FARS concerning minimum cabin crew.