Eleven foreign crew members caught in US CBP’s Boston cruise ship crackdown over alleged child abuse material

Eleven foreign crew members working aboard cruise ships docked in Boston were arrested and processed for removal from the United States following an investigation into alleged involvement with child sexual abuse and exploitation material. The enforcement action, conducted by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) from August 14 to 16, involved boarding the Volendam and Norwegian Breakaway cruise ships and encountering 11 individuals: nine citizens of the Philippines, one citizen of Indonesia, and one citizen of Nicaragua.

This operation, part of Operation Tidal Wave, aimed to identify crew members allegedly connected to the possession, use, procurement, production, or distribution of child sexual abuse material. The individuals were searched, their electronic devices were examined, and they were processed for removal under Section 212(a)(2)(A)(i)(I) of the Immigration and Nationality Act.

CBP Acting Director of Field Operations for the Boston Field Office Julio Caravia emphasized that protecting children from exploitation remains a priority and described the operation as an example of coordination between border authorities and law enforcement agencies. This marks the latest phase of Operation Tidal Wave, with the first phase in San Diego resulting in administrative enforcement actions against 27 crew members from six vessels.

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