CBP removes six Breakaway crewmembers during Boston operation
Authorities said the Filipino crew members acknowledged previously possessing child sexual exploitation or abuse material.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection removed six Filipino crew members encountered aboard the cruise ship Breakaway on Sept. 20, 2026, as part of Operation Tidal Wave, according to the agency.
CBP said the six Philippine citizens were taken to Boston Logan International Airport for secondary interviews. Authorities said all six admitted previously possessing child sexual exploitation material or child sexual abuse material. Officers also searched their onboard living quarters and electronic devices.
Following the investigation, the crew members were processed for the removal of their conditional landing privileges under U.S. immigration law over alleged crimes involving moral turpitude, CBP said.
Labor Attaché Saul De Vries said the Philippine Embassy in Washington received a Department of Homeland Security notification concerning the arrests. He said the embassy was working to verify the status of those involved.
Operation Tidal Wave is a multi-agency initiative focused on cruise ship crew members suspected of involvement with child sexual abuse material. CBP said the latest action increased the number of crew members removed at the Port of Boston under the operation to 87. The agency expected the Boston effort to continue through the remainder of the fiscal year.