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Justin Bieber detained at LAX by U.S. Customs officials

Pop star Justin Bieber, shown at a Clippers game at Staples Center in 2012, was detained by U.S. Customs officials at LAX.
Pop star Justin Bieber, shown at a Clippers game at Staples Center in 2012, was detained by U.S. Customs officials at LAX.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
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Justin Bieber’s legal woes may be catching up with him after he was detained in a U.S. Customs and Border Patrol area at LAX upon his return from Asia on Thursday, sources said.

The 20-year-old pop star was being questioned by officials, but no formal action had yet been taken against the Canadian-born performer, who is facing DUI charges in Miami, was arrested in Toronto and is being investigated in Los Angeles County for vandalism, sources said.

A source cautioned that the delay at Tom Bradley International Terminal is not a formal detention or arrest.

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His behavior led to a petition on the White House’s website in January, asking officials to deport him after his arrest on suspicion of driving under the influence and resisting arrest in Miami Beach.

The petition collected more than 273,000 signatures, making it one of the most popular on the website and eclipsing other issues. The White House declined to comment on the effort.

Bieber was arrested Jan. 23 in Miami Beach for allegedly driving under the influence, driving with an expired license and resisting arrest. Six days later, Toronto police arrested him on suspicion of assaulting a limousine driver last December.

Bieber’s former home in Calabasas was raided by L.A. County sheriff’s deputies after they labeled him a suspect in the egging of a neighbor’s home in January.

Investigators said the incident had been classified as a felony because the homeowner reported the value of the damage to his house at $20,000.

The egging incident marks the latest clash between the pop star and his former neighbors, who accused him of throwing loud parties and speeding through the neighborhood.

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Sheriff’s detectives have turned over their investigation to L.A. County prosecutors.

richard.winton@latimes.com

Twitter: @lacrimes| Google+

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