CBP officers remove another 10 cruise ship crewmembers in Boston following Operation Tidal Wave investigation
BOSTON — U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Port of Boston successfully removed 10 aliens from the cruise ship Norwegian Escape on August 31, 2026, as part of the ongoing "Operation Tidal Wave" initiative. This is the second such event in Boston within August, as the operation continues to target the possession and distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and child sexual exploitation material (CSEM) among maritime crewmembers.
On August 31, CBP officers encountered nine citizens of the Philippines and one citizen of Nepal aboard the Norwegian Escape. During secondary interviews, all 10 subjects admitted to previously consuming CSEM/CSAM. All 10 were processed for removal of conditional landing under Section 212(a)(2)(A)(i)(I) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) for crimes involving moral turpitude.
“In just over two weeks, CBP has removed 24 cruise workers for possessing child sexual abuse and exploitation material, and we will not stop,” said Acting Director of Field Operations for CBP’s Boston Field Office Julio Caravia. “I want this message to be loud and clear: CBP will not tolerate anyone possessing this material entering the United States. Those individuals found engaging in this behavior will be arrested, removed, and face significant consequences.”
In Boston, this operation follows the successful removal of 14 crewmembers from the Norwegian Breakaway, Holland Volendam, and Vision of the Seas throughout August. These efforts are part of a broader, nationwide initiative; previous phases of Operation Tidal Wave conducted earlier this year included Phase 1 in San Diego (April 2026), which resulted in administrative enforcement actions against 27 crewmembers from six vessels, and Phase 2 in San Juan (June/July 2026), which led to the removal of 14 crewmembers and the acceptance of federal prosecution for one individual.
Operation Tidal Wave is a multi-agency initiative led by the CBP Office of Field Operations (OFO) Enforcement Operations Division, in coordination with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force. The operation aims to identify and initiate enforcement actions against cruise ship crewmembers who are associated with the possession, use, procurement, production, or distribution of CSEM and CSAM.
The Area Port of Boston plans to continue this operational effort. This initiative demonstrates effective coordination among CBP field elements, targeting units, and HSI to address CSAM-related concerns within the cruise vessel crewmember population.
CBP remains committed to working with domestic and international partners to identify and interdict those who pose a threat to public safety and to prevent the exploitation of children. Under federal law, any involvement with CSEM is strictly prohibited and carries severe penalties, including criminal prosecution, removal, and 10-year inadmissibility to the United States.
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