Federal authorities say an investigation tied to child sexual exploitation material has led to the arrest and deportation of 27 cruise ship crew members connected to multiple vessels that docked in Disney Cruise Line and other major cruise operators in San Diego.
The operation, carried out by U.S. Customs and Border Protection between April 23 and April 27, has quickly drawn national attention after eyewitness footage surfaced showing crew members being escorted into federal vehicles near the city’s B Street Cruise Terminal.
According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, officers boarded eight cruise ships during the multi-day enforcement action and interviewed 28 crew members. Authorities later determined that 27 individuals were allegedly involved in the “receipt, possession, transportation, distribution, or viewing” of child sexual exploitation material, also referred to as CSEM.
Federal officials said the workers’ visas were revoked and that the individuals were deported to their respective countries of citizenship. The detained group reportedly included 26 workers from the Philippines, one from Portugal, and one from Indonesia.
While CBP did not publicly identify every ship involved, reports from local outlets and passengers confirmed that at least some of the detained workers were employed aboard a Disney cruise ship that had recently docked in San Diego.
A passenger aboard the Disney Magic reportedly captured video of federal agents escorting employees away from the terminal area.
Another cruise operator, Holland America Line, was also linked to the investigation through local reporting, though company representatives referred questions back to CBP.
“We have a zero-tolerance policy for this type of behavior and fully cooperated with law enforcement,” a Disney spokesperson said in a statement. “While the majority of these individuals were not from our cruise line, those who were are no longer with the company.”
The statement came after videos of the enforcement action began circulating online, sparking confusion among some advocacy groups and local residents, who initially believed the operation might be tied to immigration enforcement.
The Harbor Police Department later clarified that it was not involved in the arrests, emphasizing that the B Street Cruise Terminal falls under federal jurisdiction for customs and immigration matters.
Community organizations in San Diego, including the American Friends Service Committee, said they contacted federal officials to seek additional details about the operation after reports of the detentions surfaced.
Anyone with information related to child exploitation, trafficking, or abuse can contact the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children CyberTipline or call 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678). Suspected human trafficking can also be reported to the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888 or by texting 233733.
