Customs Officials are exceptionaly powerful. The only real limits to their authority seems to be the fear of politically powerful interest groups such as the Muslims and Hispanics posess. I feel terrible about what occured and hope the karma catches up with SOB's who did this. Lok to the happinees about your child and let it go.
I know a Custom's official personally, he visits us several times a week. I know of no nicer person I would rather have checking bags, perhaps he is too nice to be honest. Having an slight insight into the training and screening they recieve, I have to say that they basically have to be the most PC people I know. They definately don't strive to be confrontational, but they do have a job to do and quite often are tested with test subjects and graded, so they must be close to 100% diligent to their duties or perhaps they lose their jobs.
I am sure there are bad apples as all jobs, but "power rides" are not what I am seeing whatsoever.
When you think about it, would their actions be so different if they had, in fact, been infiltrated and taken over by foreign powers who's interest and goals are quite different then that of the American citizens?