Aéroport ultime : JFK

Ok, the first few episodes I thought were pretty interesting and started binge watching it, but the more you watch it, the more you realize how heavily edited it is and what a farce the CBP seem to be. Not only do scenes/cases from previous episodes somehow pop up in other episodes (I guess they ran short?), but if you watch enough episodes, you can see how much the agents are just taking shots in the dark.

I will admit, they do find a decent amount of contraband, but that's just because they stop and search such a high number of people.

The VAST majority of the time, they just stop passengers on "a hunch". They've just "got a feeling" or the passenger "seems nervous", or something else completely arbitrary and unquantifiable.

Ok: 1) Some people are just anxious - there's a legitimate disorder called Generalized Anxiety Disorder where you're just nervous (pretty much all the time) for no specific reason. Place someone with that disorder in a stressful situation (like traveling - especially to a foreign country) and their anxiety is going to be through the roof. They even had a guy who said he had an anxiety disorder, and the officer mocked him, saying, "Yeah, I get anxious too." Obviously they have no idea what they're talking about or they wouldn't compare the two.

2) If you're in an airport in a foreign country and all of the sudden, officers are pulling you aside and asking you tons of questions (in a foreign language) WITH TV cameras on you, no matter how innocent you are, you're gonna be nervous and sweating!

They pull these passengers aside on a whim and start belligerently asking them all these questions (that they really don't have a right/reason to ask), and detain them if they don't like the answers or if the person seems fidgety. They just keep pressing them and pressing them, but at the same time ask why they're so nervous. Maybe because they're being badgered just for coming off a plane?

What's funny (and probably happens WAY more often than shown). They'll detain a guy for hours, CERTAIN that he's smuggling something. They'll use all sorts of tactics to try illicit a confession (intimidation, good cop/bad cop, threats, etc), and just keep up the pressure.

After having torn apart their luggage (including cutting the bag apart) without finding anything, officers will make them do a body scan (x-ray). I've only seen the x-ray reveal contraband in a passenger's stomach ONCE. All the other times it's just proof the traveler isn't hiding anything, and the officers were just completely misreading the body language.

Even when they come up empty, they won't admit they're wrong or apologize; they just say, "Well, maybe we didn't find anything THIS time, but you can never be too careful. The x-ray may have missed it, but we don't have anything to hold them on." Then they have the gall to say, "Welcome to the US," after having just harassed a foreign national w/o as much as a coupon for a free Cinnabon or flight voucher.

Really, the few people they legitimately catch outright are idiots who didn't even spend 5 minutes trying to think of a plausible cover story as to where they're from, where they're going, and why.

And when those people do come clean and try to cooperate, the agents ACTIVELY dissuade them from seeking legal advice. A person will say, "I'm willing to cooperate, but I think I should have a lawyer." The officers HEAVILY insinuate if they're truthful, they won't get into trouble, and when the suspect mentions counsel, they shut it down. "It's your right to have a lawyer, but that means we can't talk anymore. If you talk, I can help you, but if you want a lawyer, we can't talk - you can't do both." Which is a blatant lie. Yes, questioning has to stop until counsel arrives, but the suspect can still speak to and cooperate with the authorities.

Honestly, I'm surprised none of the officers have faced any lawsuits for unlawful detention, intimidation, or any number of other violations.

Even when they show the officers who are just going through incoming parcels and not dealing with people, they will cut apart and drill into merchandise, ON A HUNCH, and come up empty. Who pays for that stuff??

I have a lot of favorite CBP agents, but Agent Brito is the best and rocks. I watch the show weekly and always hope to catch Agent Brito. It makes me wish I was young enough to do the job, especially if I could work with her. Keep doing a fabulous job Agent Brito. You help keep us all safer. All the other agents help too. 😊 I would sincerely like to meet you some day. My AF Veteran husband is originally from New England and we visit as often as possible. We'd only be a hop and a jump from your airport. I may have to do all of the next road trip planning so I can meet you. I know my husband all too well after 30 years, and I wouldn't put it past him to set up a joke with you just to see me put in cuffs. 😄 To quote you from episode S1 Ep6 that I'm watching this evening, "I can be very nice until I find something wrong." Then you handcuffed a man that had cans filled with cocaine instead of soup. You very good at your job, and smooth.

All of you stay safe, and thank you so much for your service and all you do.

Sharon C. From Minnesota.

I was watching an episode with my 96 y/o mother because she likes the show. This particular episide was from JFK. They had security footage of the baggage handler steering 4 huge suitcases of drugs through the airport. Never intercepted them to install tracking devices so that they could locate the final destination. It's no wonder that we don't catch drig dealers in this country. They seem to be quick to bust the low and lower level mules but hesitate to take the proper route to catch either the originator of the drug shipment or the end destination of the shipment. With today's technology, it seems ridiculous that this country's law enforcement can't crack a smuggling ring if their life depended on it.

This show is definitely interesting and a good pastime watch, but dear god the show makes these officers looks like unbearable people. This show somehow manages to make me feel bad for the travelers.

These officers hound and harass these foreign nationals on a "hunch" and drive up the most ridiculous line of questioning for these people and wonder why they're acting suspicious. There is an extreme lack of empathy and people skills from these officers it almost makes it unbearable to watch. Never in my life would I wish these interactions on someone else! Sending people home cause their stories don't add up to them, or questioning people for hours because they're fidgeting with their bag/looking suspicious is ridiculous. I get they're just doing their job but have some empathy! The show is also extremely edited beyond belief. Good watch but these officers are very unlikable.

I LOVE THE SHOW, it is so mind blowing to see the sacrifice seemingly ordinary people are taking to traffic drugs. I conclude that most of the traffickers are being threatened/forced to do the task, plus greed on the traffickers part once introduced to the task. I believe the traffickers chosen to do the job are ignorant to the severity of the crime and have little insight to how they can be caught. SOLUTION- to decrease FLIGHT TRAVELINGTRAFFICKERS- play the Series throughout the airport, make it visual for them to see how they will be caught, arrested and sent immediately to prison. This may also led officials to finding out who are the people pushing the trafficking, if my theory is correct, the person who agreed to be the drug trafficker will have to return to their source. Id really like to kmow what is happening to the families and loved ones of the captured drug trafficker, where are those bodies??? Or maybe what happens to them is that they are next to attempt the trafficking of the next supply of drugs. THIS IS VERY DEEP, at least it leads me to think that deep, It is a vicious cycle. I would be remiss to not thank CUSTOMS BORDER PATROL employees, they are doing an OUTSTANDING job. THANKS CBP.