CBP Removes 10 Norwegian Escape Crew Over Child Sexual Abuse Material
Across Boston, San Diego and San Juan, Customs and Border Protection has disclosed immigration enforcement actions involving 65 crew members and one federal prosecution.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers removed 10 crew members from the Norwegian Escape on Aug. 31 and processed them for removal from the United States. CBP said all 10 acknowledged during secondary interviews that they had previously viewed child sexual abuse or exploitation material.
The removals were part of Operation Tidal Wave. Across Boston, San Diego and San Juan, CBP has disclosed immigration enforcement actions involving 65 crew members, along with one separate federal prosecution.
Nine of the Norwegian Escape crew members are citizens of the Philippines, and one is a citizen of Nepal. They were processed under the Immigration and Nationality Act for crimes involving moral turpitude, which can make a noncitizen inadmissible based on a conviction or an admission to committing an offense or its essential elements.
“In just over two weeks, CBP has removed 24 cruise workers for possessing child sexual abuse and exploitation material, and we will not stop,” said Julio Caravia, acting director of field operations for CBP’s Boston Field Office.
Boston operation followed actions on three other ships
Earlier in August, CBP removed 14 crew members from Norwegian Breakaway, Holland America Line’s Volendam and Royal Caribbean International’s Vision of the Seas. Eleven of those workers were detained between Aug. 14 and 16 after officers searched their accommodations and electronic devices aboard Norwegian Breakaway and Volendam.
Those 11 workers included nine Philippine citizens, one Indonesian citizen and one Nicaraguan citizen. Authorities did not disclose their names, onboard positions or the number assigned to each vessel, and no federal criminal charges were announced in that case.
Holland America said it terminated the individuals involved from Volendam and was cooperating with law enforcement. Norwegian Cruise Line also said it was cooperating with authorities. Volendam and Norwegian Breakaway continued their planned operations without reported sailing delays.
Operation has reached ports on both U.S. coasts
Operation Tidal Wave is led by CBP’s Office of Field Operations in coordination with Homeland Security Investigations and the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. It targets cruise crew members associated with the possession, use, procurement, production or distribution of child sexual abuse and exploitation material.
In the first phase, CBP took enforcement action against 27 crew members across six ships in San Diego in April. During June and July, authorities removed another 14 crew members from three vessels in San Juan and accepted one additional individual for federal prosecution.
Immigration removal proceedings are separate from a criminal conviction. CBP said involvement with the material can lead to prosecution, removal from the United States and a 10-year prohibition on reentry.
