Federal Agents Board Cruise Ship in Dramatic Onboard Crew Arrest Operation

Federal agents recently boarded several cruise ships in San Diego and made arrests tied to child exploitation investigations. Here’s what cruise travelers need to know about what happened.

CBP Agents Detained Cruise Ship Crew Members

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) confirmed that federal officers boarded eight cruise ships between April 23 and 27. The operation was part of ongoing enforcement efforts targeting Child Sexual Exploitation Material (CSEM). Passengers on at least one ship witnessed the arrests firsthand.

Travelers aboard the Disney Magic saw federal agents escorting crew members off the ship at the San Diego cruise terminal. The ship had just completed a five-day cruise to Catalina Island and Ensenada. Disney declined to comment when contacted by USA TODAY.

What CBP Found During the Operation

CBP interviewed 28 suspected crew members across the eight ships. The crew members came from the Philippines, Portugal, and Indonesia. The results of those interviews were alarming.

“After boarding the vessels and interviewing 26 suspected crew members from the Philippines, one suspected crew member from Portugal, and one from Indonesia, officers confirmed that 27 of the 28 subjects were involved in either the receipt, possession, transportation, distribution, or viewing of CSEM or child pornography,” CBP told USA TODAY.

CBP canceled the visas of all confirmed individuals and deported them to their home countries. The agency did not say whether criminal charges were filed against any of them.

Holland America Ship Also Targeted

Just two days after the Disney Magic incident, federal agents also boarded a Holland America Line ship. Four crew members were detained from the Zandaam, according to reporting by KPBS and NBC San Diego. An immigrants’ rights group announced the detentions at a press conference on May 5.

Holland America released a brief statement to USA TODAY: “This is a law enforcement matter, and we cooperate with law enforcement investigations in jurisdictions where we operate.” The cruise line did not confirm any additional details and directed further questions to CBP.

Local Port Authority Was Not Involved

The Port of San Diego’s Harbor Police Department confirmed it had no role in the enforcement actions. The department stated it received no calls for service related to the incidents at the B Street Cruise Terminal on April 23 or April 25.

“In accordance with California law, including SB 54, Harbor Police does not participate in immigration enforcement activities,” the port told USA TODAY.

This Isn’t the First Time It’s Happened

These San Diego incidents are not isolated events. Back in September, four Carnival Cruise Line crew members were removed from a ship docked in Baltimore. CBP said that operation was also based on intelligence that crew members had CSEM in their possession.

CBP has clearly made cruise ships a focus of its child exploitation enforcement efforts. As a cruise traveler, it’s worth knowing that federal agencies are actively working to keep passengers and crew safe on these ships.