CBP removes 10 Norwegian Escape crewmembers in Boston operation
The agency said the action brought the number of cruise workers removed in Boston to 24 over just more than two weeks.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection said 10 crewmembers were removed from Norwegian Escape in Boston after acknowledging during secondary interviews that they had previously consumed child sexual abuse material or child sexual exploitation material.
According to CBP, officers encountered nine Philippine citizens and one Nepalese citizen aboard the ship on Monday, Aug. 31. The agency said all 10 were processed for removal of their conditional landing status under a provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act concerning crimes involving moral turpitude.
The action was part of Operation Tidal Wave, a multi-agency initiative focused on cruise ship crewmembers associated with the possession, use, procurement, production or distribution of child sexual abuse and exploitation material.
CBP said it had previously removed 14 crewmembers from Norwegian Breakaway, Holland Volendam and Vision of the Seas during the month. In total, the agency reported removing 24 cruise ship workers in Boston over a period of slightly more than two weeks.
The first phase of Operation Tidal Wave was conducted in San Diego in April. CBP said that phase resulted in administrative enforcement actions against 27 crewmembers from six vessels.