Key Aspects:
- A total of 87 cruise ship crew members have been removed from ships at the Port of Boston since mid-August 2026 for association with child sexual exploitation or abuse materials.
- The removals have been part of Operation Tidal Wave, which also removed crew members from ships in San Diego in April and San Juan in June and July.
- No cruise ship operational changes or delays have been associated with Operation Tidal Wave or the removal of crew members.
US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), in a joint operation with Homeland Security Investigations and the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, has removed 87 cruise ship crew members from various vessels at the Port of Boston since mid-August 2026.
The ongoing operation, titled “Operation Tidal Wave,” is targeting crimes involving child sexual exploitation materials (CSEM) and child sexual abuse materials (CSAM). This includes the possession, use, procurement, production, or distribution of these types of materials, all of which is strictly prohibited.
Phase 1 in San Diego in April 2026, which included “administrative enforcement actions” against 27 crew members from six different ships, including Disney Magic.
Phase 2 was in San Juan during June and July, with 14 crew members removed and one reportedly accepting federal prosecution.
In mid-August, 11 crew members from two ships, Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Breakaway and Holland America Line’s Volendam, were removed at the Port of Boston.
CBP confirmed that six additional crew members were removed from Norwegian Breakaway on Sunday, September 20 and admitted to the offense during later interviews. On that date, the 3,903-guest ship had just completed a 7-night Canada and New England cruise and was beginning another similar 7-night itinerary.
Removals in the past six weeks have involved a total of 87 cruise ship crew members. No identifying information about the individuals has been disclosed other than they are not US citizens.
In this type of case, the individuals allegedly involved in CSEM and CSAM would be processed for removal from the US under Section 212(a)(2)(A)(i)(I) of the Immigration and Nationality Act for crimes involving “moral turpitude.”
“The success of Operation Tidal Wave reflects the unwavering dedication of our officers and partners to protect the most vulnerable,” said Julio Caravia, Acting Director of Field Operations. “Let the removal of these 87 be a message to others: we will not accept this exploitation and CBP will not stop identifying and arresting the individuals who participate in it.”
Under federal law, non-US citizens involved with CSEM or CSAM may face criminal prosecution, removal of conditional landing, and a 10-year ban on being readmitted to the US. Individual cruise lines may have additional penalties against removed crew members, such as employment termination and a ban on future employment.
Which Cruise Ships Have Been Involved?
No details have been confirmed about the exact cruise ships that have had crew members removed in the past few weeks, only that the operation has been “consistent throughout the summer” in the Boston area, with 87 crew members removed since mid-August.
From mid-August through the end of September, ships from various cruise lines have been homeported at Boston or visited as a port of call, including Holland America Line, Celebrity Cruises, Royal Caribbean, Silversea, Norwegian Cruise Line, AIDA Cruises, TUI Cruises, Virgin Voyages, Princess Cruises, and Cunard Line, among others.
Similarly, authorities have not specified how many crew members have been removed from any individual ship or if any ship has had multiple crew members removed at different times.
No operational changes or delays have been reported for any cruise ship involved in Operation Tidal Wave.
The nature of the materials collected that have led to the removal of these crew members has also not been disclosed, though prior removals have included comprehensive searches of crew members’ living quarters, including electronic devices.
Operation Tidal Wave uses intelligence to identify and initiate enforcement actions against crew members who are determined to be associated with illicit CSE/CSA materials.
The operation is planned to continue at the Area Port of Boston through the end of the fiscal year. US Customs and Border Protection, as an agency of the federal government, operates its fiscal year from October 1 through September 30.
It is unclear whether the operation may move to a different region or cruise homeport and continue in the new fiscal year.
