85+ cruise crew removed over alleged child sexual exploitation material

85+ cruise crew removed over alleged child sexual exploitation material.

Key points

• The enforcement actions include six employees from Norwegian Cruise Line's Norwegian Breakaway ship, Customs and Border Protection remarked in a Sept.
• The Boston efforts come after other phases in San Diego in April and San Juan, Puerto Rico, in June and July.
• Authorities have removed 87 crew members from cruise ships in Boston over alleged possession and distribution of child exploitation material since mid-August.
• Those led to administrative enforcement actions for 27 employees throughout six ships in San Diego, CBP stated.
• The removals are part of the multi-agency Operation Tidal Wave, targeting CSAM and CSEM possession among workers on cruises, authorities stated.

For context, the enforcement actions include six employees from Norwegian Cruise Line's Norwegian Breakaway ship, Customs and Border Protection remarked in a Sept. 25 news release. The crew members, who were all citizens of the Philippines, admitted to previous possession of child sexual exploitation material or child sexual abuse material, according to the agency.

"Following comprehensive searches of their living quarters and electronic devices, all six were processed for removal of conditional landing under Section 212(a)(2)(A)(I)(I) of the Immigration and Nationality Act for crimes involving moral turpitude, " the release remarked. CBP did not share other information regarding the employees' identities.

Norwegian informed USA TODAY that the business is aware of the situation and cooperating with authorities. "The safety, security, and well-being of our guests are of paramount importance, and we remain committed to maintaining a safe and secure environment across our fleet, " the cruise line remarked in an emailed statement.

Notably, the removals are part of the multi-agency Operation Tidal Wave, targeting CSAM and CSEM possession among workers on cruises, authorities stated.

"The success of Operation Tidal Wave reflects the unwavering dedication of our officers and partners to protect the most vulnerable, " acting director of field operations Julio Caravia remarked in the release.

In practice, the Boston efforts come after other phases in San Diego in April and San Juan, Puerto Rico, in June and July.

Those led to administrative enforcement actions for 27 employees throughout six ships in San Diego, CBP stated. In San Juan, 14 cruise crew members were removed, and those operations resulted in "the acceptance of federal prosecution for one individual."

Notably, the news follows a number of arrests of crew members from various cruise lines on similar charges over recent years.

Anthony Salisbury, then special agent in charge at Homeland Security Investigations Miami, informed USA TODAY in 2024 that child exploitation was "significantly higher across the board, " and not just in the cruise industry.

"If it's up across the board, you're going to see it up across the cruise ships, " he remarked at the time.

Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at [email protected]. Share your feedback to support improve our site!

In short, 85+ cruise crew removed over alleged child sexual exploitation material is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.