CBP Removes 28 Foreign Cruise Crew Members After Finding Child Exploitation Material on Devices

U.S. Customs and Border Protection boarded five cruise ships between April 23 and 25 as part of ongoing Child Sexual Exploitation Material enforcement operations. One of the vessels was a Disney cruise ship docked in San Diego.

Officers interviewed 26 suspected crew members from the Philippines, one from Portugal and one from Indonesia. After the interviews, officers confirmed that all 28 subjects were involved in the receipt, possession, transportation, distribution or viewing of CSEM or child pornography. The agency arrested all 28 for child porn-related offenses.

CBP cancelled their visas and the individuals are being removed from the United States. "CBP has a zero-tolerance policy for this type of behavior," a CBP spokesperson said. " Three of the 28 arrested were Disney cruise employees.

It is unclear which other ships the additional crew members may have worked on outside of Disney. Passengers aboard the Disney Magic ship watched the arrests unfold while the vessel was being unloaded at the B Street Cruise Terminal. Passenger Dharmi Mehta took a video of the moment and said one of those detained was her server.

The Port of San Diego Harbor Police Department did not have any involvement in the reported enforcement actions on April 23 or April 25 at the B Street Cruise Terminal, a port spokesperson told NBC San Diego. New York Post reported that families hoping to make memories on a cruise were unknowingly surrounded by alleged child predators working aboard the ships.

The arrests occurred last month on the Disney Magic as vacationers documented immigration officials cuffing several employees.