Airport hold up at STI

Please write up a complete report of this incident, with names, dates and flight numbers. You can email it to me so i can take it to the airport administrator and this person will be removed.

HB

I'll post about my experiences (many) with DNCD agents later. I think that they get my pic as part of their "training" because I get stopped every time, coming into and leaving the country. Never fails!

What type of haircut you had that day? Were you wearing thick gold chains with a gold medal of the size of a clock? If you were then you fit their profile of a "jodedor"

Ok, here go some of my stories!

First, I'm clean cut. Regular hair cut with no facial hair, no earrings or other jewelry, not even a watch, no tattoos, no baggy clothes, don't smoke or use drugs, etc. I usually leave for my flight right from the office, so I'm usually wearing business attire (slacks, button down shirt) when I travel, and most times I only have carry-on luggage.

When I'm coming into DR I usually get stopped and questioned about how much money I'm bringing into the country and I've been to the "office" on several occassions. It has gotten so predictable, that If I'm traveling with other people I tell them beforehand to just pretend that they don't know me and that we'll meet up by customs or outside.

When leaving, I'm usually questioned and patted down.

I don't really mind any of this stuff, because I know that these guys are doing their job and they do catch a few people every week trying to bring in or take drugs out of DR. I know most of the DNCD agents by name now, so if I don't want to deal with the hassle because I get stopped by someone who hasn't seen me before, I just ask them to call one of the people who already know me, and then I'm let go with an apology and an offer for their help anytime that I'm traveling through again. They do shift these guys around periodically, so every few months there's a new batch of agents, but they always know the people who were there before them.

Now, the most hassle that I ever got was in November, 2005 when I was coming back to the US and didn't know any of the agents there. I get pulled aside after the last x-ray machine and they started questioning me. I go along with the agent until he calls another guy and then I noticed that they were getting somewhat nasty with me, at which point I told the guy that if they were going to question me as if I was a criminal, they would have to do it in English because I'm a US citizen and I don't feel comfortable being subjected to an interrogation in Spanish. They questioned me about my frequent traveling, because I usually go to DR 10 to 12 times a year. They went through my wallet, asked about my finances, my job, who do I visit in DR, yadda, yadda, yadda... They told me that I would possibly miss my flight (last one out) because they wanted to take me to Las Corominas Clinic for x-rays. I told the agent that I would consent to any testing that they wished, as long as I made it home that day. I sternly warned them that if I missed that flight, they would have to arrange for a private flight to get me home that day.

Anyway, I spent a good hour with them in the office and they finally offered to do a test using a reactive liquid for the presence of drugs. After the test was done, they asked me to sign a document in Spanish stating that I had been treated fairly and professionally, which I did, because I was in a windowless room with 2 armed DNCD agents and another guy in camouflage holding a machine gun, so it's not like I had much choice. During the entire ordeal, I carefully noted everyone's last name and made sure to commit those to memory. I was escorted all the way into the plane after all the passengers were already seated and the plane was ready for departure.

That same night, when I got home, I called one of my uncles who is a colonel in the army, and much to my surprise, he was assigned to the DNCD and knew all the names that I had commited to memory. He asked me if I wanted them fired, but I told him to just put a little fear into them. The next day, they got a good reaming and were all reassigned to other posts out of STI.

this is an interesting thread. A travel buddy of mine flew back to the US a couple of days before me a couple of years ago. He is an american black, but has some west indian features....and got stopped and was harrassed for a couple of hours....again..looking for drugs.

An just like you..when dealing with any of the officials i ONLY speak in english.

Are you sure that they just didnt pull you aside cuz you have travel so frequently to the country?

I am always concerned that i will be pulled aside cuz of my last name. But I just play big ole goofy gringo tourist and mispronounce my last name etc...and i get waved thru every time.

Customs

When leaving D.R. June 9'th from Puerto Plata, I think the customs agent tried to get some money out of me....but I'm not sure why.

There was a line of people waiting to leave...and it was my turn at the "booth". He took my passport and asked how long I had been in the country. I said one week (truth). He looked at my passport and said in a fairly loud voice "ONE YEAR"...then he put his arm over the counter and wiggled his fingers as though he wanted me to give him money or something.

I wasn't sure what to do, but I knew I really had nothing to be afraid of....so, I reached out and shook his hand and said that I had a very nice vacation...then took half a step back and kept smiling at him. He gave me the "once-over" look, stamped the passport and I was on my way.

Very strange.

jrzyguy said:

Are you sure that they just didnt pull you aside cuz you have travel so frequently to the country?

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That's the reason that I always get pulled aside, and I don't really mind, because I have nothing to hide or fear, and I totally understand that those guys have a job to do. However, when I was stopped in Nov. '05, I was overly harrassed and even felt threathened at times, which is why I decided to make a stink about it.

This is horrible

El Diego said:

has this happened to anyone?

after you go through immigration you go through x-ray machine where a few agents wait there, sometimes ask you question, sometimes search through your bags... but this time an agent told me he's from narcotics dept and to follow him to his office to get an x-ray of my stomach to make sure i didn't carry any drugs.

i told him he can search my bags right there, no need to go to his office.
He insisted we needed to go to his office,, so we went.. in his office he's telling me that if i have something to tell him before he calls people to search me. Not to make story long,,, i got upset/furious when he said i have to wait for next flight, next day b/c the x-ray machine located in santiago city and not opened at night. I was taking jetblue flight leaving STI at 6am.. so this happened around 4;30am. I told him he was crazy to think i would miss flight for no reason.. but he wanted to hold me there in his office. I think he wanted some bribe or something but he was not going to get anything from me. I told him to wake up his boss and after a few mins he gave up. He then filled a form of people that they search and put down nothing was found with me.

I didn't want to make a mess afterwards looking for his boss b/c in dr everyone (i should say most) are corrupt, cheeky and this agent would just come up with an excuse.

so everyone beware of agents trying to get bribe by taking you to an office and saying you will your flight. This agent's name was(is) Jose.... could not remember his last name.. i know it was weird last name.

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People like this are criminals. Just as posters have offered you. Get this SOB's full name and PM me. I'll make some phone calls for you.

Immigration

I was leaving through La union Intl. I was at the immigration booth when the man asked me if I was there for business or pleasure. I stated that I am there to visit family, friends, business and pleasure. He took my passport and told me to go into an office. I was seated in an office and an attractive white skinned Domincana walked in. She arrogantly accused me of owing the the Dominican government taxes. I tried to explain that my business is in the name of a military officer she just laughed, rolled her eyes and said in Spanish that all of these gringos try this excuse.

Ok, so I now play stupid. She gets frustrated and leaves. I get on the cell phone and call my friend who is the the jefe at La Union Intl. Col. Tavares. Within minutes this woman was escorted away "Bye bye" I said as she was led away. From then on out I am always escorted through the airport by the jefe himself. Jefes always are being changed so I am constantly being introduced to the new airport jefe by Gen. Valanzuela.

The next time I was in La Union Intl. I saw the same immigration man at the booth and I went to him on purpose. He looked at me and just said he knows me, smiled and wished me a good flight. Cripes he barely stamped my passport.

I cannot say that this kind of thing can happen for you however it is very important to have some powerful connections if you travel into and out of this country often.

would anybody be post these kinds of messeges if they were interogated by US customs? come on people... Oh I warned them they would have to fly me out.... whatever

I believe these guys are using their authority to intimidate people into giving them mordidas. US Customs don't have that reputation.
mkohn

Huh

corporanr said:

would anybody be post these kinds of messeges if they were interogated by US customs? come on people... Oh I warned them they would have to fly me out.... whatever

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We are discussing the Dominican Republic...are we....?

corporanr said:

would anybody be post these kinds of messeges if they were interogated by US customs? come on people... Oh I warned them they would have to fly me out.... whatever

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I've entered the US through San Juan, Miami, Newark and JFK on dozens of times. I've been stopped a total of two times (both at JFK) by customs. One time it took about 30 seconds and my luggage was never touched, and the other time one piece was lugagge was searched and it took a total of about 3 minutes. At no point have I felt threatened, disrespected or humiliated as every immigration or customs officer that I've encountered in the US has conducted himself in a courteous and professional manner, and everything was done in the open and in plain view of other officers and travelers.

So what's your point, junior?

There is NOT ONE ..............

.......immigration official, customs official or airport employee in the Dominican Republic that will not try to extort money from you if they at all can............... EVERYONE of them would be in jail in any other country........

.........I have always believed (over 14 years of traveling to the DR over 24 times per year) that ONLY PEOPLE with VISA's should be allowed to work in the airports.............MOST OF THESE PEOPLE ARE JUST PLAIN JEALOUS that they will never be able to leave their country...........AND THANK GOD FOR THAT!

my solution

let them blab for a while then show them my university ID and tell them my visit is explecitly to research and write a report about the tourism industry, offering to call my 'advising professor' is they oblige...the illiterate bunch soon becomes my friend: I get to skip the immigration line and they carry my luggage free of charge. It has worked so well and I get such a good service that way, I now deliberatly act suspecious so as to beg them to stop me..

..I get better service that way! :laugh: :laugh:

(AILA is the airport I generally use)

other stuff works

I know someone working for the DC Metro who does it with his work badge.

..key thing is I do it, non-chalantly, as if it's part of my normal introduction and not as a way of demanding special service.

Upon leaving the DR...

One thing Trujillo left Dominicans with is a healthy respect for people in positions of authority. I have traveled to DR many times with a good friend who is a parole officer in NYC. My friend is a large, African-American and for some reason he is sometimes stopped upon leaving the DR. He is questioned by immigration officials and usually asked for some extra ID. You should see how the expression changes on their faces when he opens a special wallet he carries and shines his badge in their faces! Immediately, his passport is stamped and he is bid a safe return flight to NYC. I have to ask him if he can get me one of those badges too!