What am I doing wrong?
 

Every time I am on an international flight I get harrased by Customs Agents in the Jetway particularly when flying to the caribean.

On my last trip to Puerto Rico I was given the 3rd degree by two custom agents, they peppered me with questions as to why I am going to Puerto Rico, how can I afford a first class ticket, Who told me to dress the way I dressed, am I meeting anyone in Puerto Rico, what do I do for a living and how much money I make a year, once they even asked me how did I legally obtain a US passport.

What am I doing wrong?

My answers would be :
None of your business
None of your business
None of your business
None of your business
None of your business
None of your business etc etc. :p

I did not realize that Puerto Rico was outside the customs territory of the US.

I know, I know - you filled in an application form :D

So I am guessing I don't have to answer their questions. When answering how did I legally obtain a US passport I answered the same way you probably did.

It's becoming a habbit and an uncomfortable one at that. By the way I assume they are customs agents as they flash a badge. Never really took the time to read the badge and it has only happened on international flights. Only time it happened when going to Europe was to Spain. Whats funny is when I got to spain pass port control stamped my passport quicky, I had a harder time getting into canada than I did spain heck had a harder time getting on to the plane than I did off..

I assume the OP is American. I've experienced customs officers question paxs boarding flights from PR back to the mainland. In all experiences they have asked me my nationality, I've replied American, and been allowed to pass. I've never been asked for my passport, which I would not take to PR anyway.

For whatever reason, there appears to be very strict customs and immigration at SJU. I've seen ICE agents stop and question people in the terminal.

While travel through the 50 states does not have any additional ICE, for some odd reason traveling through an American territory does. During our trip to US Virgin Islands we cleared ICE on the island. I thought it odd. Perhaps some needs to do some digging as to why there are two different sets of rules.

Are you white/caucasian? If not, I think I have a good idea why you're getting harassed...

Yeah Right. Give them answers like that, and you'll be detained until the cows come home. If you ask why you're detained, they will have 1001 answers.

I'm Puerto Rican.

I never been asked for credentials while on the island and never on my way back from SJU or the virgin islands etc. It's always in the Jetway at JFK while I am headed onto the plane and not off the plane.

The last time it happened which was on a trip in December my mom started to freak out. The guy when he saw I was with my mom actually had another agent there were 4 in total question her. This was a surprise trip for my mom so she was unable to answer 99% of the questions that he asked her such as how did I pay for the tickets etc.

I am trying to think of the wierdest questiosn they've asked me.

They have asked the dumbest of things too, once I was asked and it wasn't in this order but it was in the same breath, I was asked if I had packed any "deoderant, guns, bombs, cologne, toothpaste, toothbrush, poison" into my carryon. I remember asking him to repeat himself and he did but with out the guns and bombs part.

Exasperated!
 

I'd like to pose a hypothetical using this person as an example. Since the problems stem from trying to board the flight could he arrange a meeting with this agency
to answer questions? Presumably earlier the same day.
Would it be beneficial to seek legal advice to try and determine how to deal with this agency?
And if all else fails and he tires of the interogation could he just tell them he will answer NO further questions, not board and leave? Or if he did that could he be arrested?:(

Hands up anyone who is surprised. :(

That's a trick. A particularly nasty one.

You'll quickly answer yes to the "deoderant" part. But SUPRISE you also answered yes to the "bomb" part.

Now the agent has case to detail, derail and disassemble you.

He doesn't care about deodorant, and doesn't really believe you have a bomb. He just wants the "all-pass" to do anything else he wants to you.

I suggest that you contact your Congressional representative (you imply that you live in NYC, rather than PR) and explain what has been happening, tell them that you have been unable to obtain any sensible response from CBP, and ask for their help in addressing the problem, as you are becoming increasingly concerned.

That is, phrase it as a 'constituent service' request , rather than a policy complaint. A lot of what congresspersons' staffs do is deal with constituent service.

I guess Chuck and Christine will get an email from me soon then, or atleast if it happens again.

I don't want to say they are racial profiling because the majority of the people on these flights were hispanic.

Someone said they never take their Passport to PR, I took my passport because I had planned to meet a friend in Miami for a Trip to DR so thats the reason I had it.