Federal authorities arrest 11 during Boston cruise ship operation
The arrests followed searches aboard Holland America Line’s Volendam and Norwegian Cruise Line’s Breakaway, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Federal authorities arrested 11 people after boarding two cruise ships in Boston on suspicion of receiving and distributing child sexual exploitation and abuse material. U.S. Customs and Border Protection said the operation ran from Friday through Sunday aboard Holland America Line’s Volendam and Norwegian Cruise Line’s Breakaway.
CBP and Homeland Security Investigations carried out the arrests after searching the individuals’ living quarters and electronic devices, according to the agency. Nine of those arrested are citizens of the Philippines, while one is an Indonesian citizen and one is a Nicaraguan citizen. Authorities did not disclose their identities or specify how many people were arrested on each ship.
CBP said all 11 were processed for removal under the Immigration and Nationality Act for crimes involving moral turpitude. The arrests were part of Operation Tidal Wave, an initiative involving CBP, Homeland Security Investigations, the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.