• Source:JND
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A Norwegian tourist, aged 21, claims a photoshopped image of US Vice President JD Vance caused a five-hour detention and subsequent entry prohibition at Newark Airport, but US authorities claim it was the result of his confessed drug use. Mads Mikkelsen, who is a Norwegian citizen, was detained by US Customs and Border Protection (USCBP) agents shortly after landing at New Jersey airport earlier this month.

In an interview with local Norwegian newspaper Nordlys and the BBC after returning home, Mikkelsen claimed that agents compelled him to unlock his phone, searched his bags, and detained him in a locked room for several hours. "They told me they would fine me 5,000 USD unless I unlocked my phone," Mikkelsen said. Agents reportedly uncovered a digitally manipulated image of JD Vance with a bald head and asked him what it was for. "The agent called it 'dangerous extremist propaganda'. I explained to them it was a meme satire," Mikkelsen explained to the BBC.

But the USCBP officially denied Mikkelsen's allegations, saying that he was denied entry because he admitted to having used drugs in the past, not because he was carrying political memes. On a statement on X (formerly Twitter), USCBP said, "Fact Check: FALSE. Mads Mikkelsen was not denied entry for any memes or political reasons; it was for his admitted drug use." US law permits immigration agents to exclude visitors who confess to having taken illegal drugs, even when taken legally overseas.

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Tourist claims He Was Strip-Searched

The experience was "traumatic", Mikkelsen said, asserting he was strip-searched, fingerprinted and subjected to blood tests as agents rummaged through his possessions. He also claimed his Norwegian passport was incorrectly marked "Spanish" on official documents. Adding to the intrigue, Mikkelsen's deportation papers also mentioned allegations that he may try to find unauthorised employment in the US, yet another basis for refusal of admission under United States immigration law.

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Since the incident, Mikkelsen vowed he would not try to visit the US again "while the current government is in power." US Customs and Border Protection explained that border digital device searches are not common, as fewer than 0.01 per cent of travelers are subjected to the checks. On average, approximately one million people enter the US on any given day.