27 of 28 Crew Searched Found With Child Sexual Exploitation Material

Federal Agents Board Eight Cruise Ships in April Operation

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers boarded eight cruise ships between April 23 and April 27, 2026, in an operation targeting child sexual exploitation material among ship crew members. Of the 28 crew members selected for examination across the eight vessels, 27 were found to be in possession of child sexual abuse material, according to NBC News.

The crew members were removed from their ships and deported to their countries of origin. CBP confirmed the operation, which took place as vessels docked at U.S. ports. The agency said the scale of the findings - 27 of 28 crew members - was significant enough to prompt immediate action and removal.

Which Ships Were Involved

Among the eight cruise ships involved in the operation was the Disney Magic. At least 10 of the 27 crew members removed were Disney Cruise Line employees, and Disney confirmed crew terminations following the federal operation. Holland America Line also confirmed that one of its vessels was among those boarded and that involved crewmembers had been terminated.

The majority of the crew members removed - 26 of the 27 - were nationals of the Philippines. One was a Portuguese national and one was Indonesian. All 27 were deported rather than prosecuted in the United States, a decision that CBP did not publicly explain in detail.

Deportation Without U.S. Prosecution

The decision to deport the crew members rather than pursue criminal charges in American courts drew attention in reporting on the case. Child sexual abuse material possession is a federal crime in the United States, and the discovery of such material during a CBP inspection typically triggers federal review.

CBP did not provide a public explanation for why prosecution was not pursued in the United States. The crew members were removed from U.S. jurisdiction through deportation, meaning any legal consequences would depend on their home countries’ laws and enforcement.

Industry Response and Ongoing Concerns

Disney Cruise Line said the company fully cooperated with law enforcement and has a zero-tolerance policy for this type of behavior. Holland America confirmed that involved crewmembers had been terminated. Neither company issued detailed statements about internal disciplinary processes or protocols for screening crew members.

The operation raised questions about the frequency of such inspections at U.S. ports and whether standard screening processes for cruise ship crew detect possession of illegal material before or after vessels arrive in American waters. CBP has not publicly detailed the intelligence or process that led to the April operation.

References: Investigation: Cruise ship workers and Disney employees engaged in child pornography | Did 27 Cruise Ship Employees Get Arrested for Child Pornography?