Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Flight Instructor; Flight Crew Instrument
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 150; Flight Crew Total 12000; Flight Crew Type 1000
Communication Breakdown; Confusion; Situational Awareness
ATC Issue All Types; Airspace Violation All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural FAR
Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Flight Crew Requested ATC Assistance / Clarification
Company Policy; Human Factors; Procedure; Airspace Structure
On the ground at MMCU; our handling agent for operating in Chihuahua were tasked with filing a Flight plan to [our destination] to clear customs. I filed the necessary US eAPIS (Electronic Advance Passenger Information System) departure and arrival information and notified customs for landing rights on [two days prior] prior to the flight and then again on [day of the flight] midday to update our arrival time. I received the flight plan form from the agent and upon reviewing it; it was a VFR Flight plan at 13;500 feet. I told him that I needed an IFR Flight plan and that the altitude needed to be at least 17000 feet. He called his operations; made the necessary adjustment; and marked the flight plan type and altitude change on the original form. I called Chihuahua Tower for the clearance and they said that they only had a VFR Flight plan for me. I told them that that was a mistake and that our handler is correcting it to an IFR Flight plan. Moments later; I was given an IFR clearance with all the necessary elements of a typical IFR clearance. We contacted Chihuahua departure with no problem and received the handoff to Monterey Center with no issues. Upon getting close to the border and ALKEM intersection; Monterrey Center terminates our radar and tells us to squawk 1200. We advise him that we are still on an IFR flight plan and need a handoff to Albuquerque Center. Monterey says that they don't normally do that because of the poor radio coverage at our altitude in that area and offers us a telephone number to call.By this time; we're already past ALKEM and crossed the border. We tell him that we need a frequency and Monterrey reluctantly gives one. We contact Center; identify ourselves; our position; and intentions; and he responds that we are only 'one by five' but that he can hear us and has us on radar. We continue to [destination] and cancel IFR; land; and clear customs without issue.Upon further investigation and comments and reviews on numerous sources; this is an ongoing issue with communications between Monterrey and Albuquerque. Monterrey really doesn't seem to care to work on a handoff and Albuquerque doesn't seem to mind that you've crossed the border prior to contacting them. Customs officials on the ground never mentioned anything and when we departed to our next destination and talked with the same Center Controller; he didn't mention anything about it. There should be a different frequency in that area which allows aircraft crossing the border better communications with Center at lower altitudes. It makes for a tense few moments when you're dealing with the indifference of Monterrey Center trying to drop you off without giving you a handoff while in such close proximity to the US border.
A pilot reported the Center in Mexico would not hand him off to the Center in the United States so they had to contact the Center on their own and checked in while already in U.S airspace.