7 Filipino cruise workers arrested as Operation Tidal Wave expands

Seven more Filipino cruise ship crew members were arrested by U.S. Customs and Border Protection after their vessels docked in Boston, adding to a widening crackdown on foreign seafarers at the port.

CBP has not publicly identified the seven Filipinos, disclosed their positions aboard the ships, or revealed the specific reasons behind their removal.

The latest arrests come as Operation Tidal Wave intensifies at the Port of Boston. Since mid-August, 87 foreign cruise ship crew members have been removed from the U.S. under the enforcement campaign targeting the possession or distribution of child sexual abuse and exploitation material.

The new cases follow the arrest and deportation of six Filipino crew members last month over alleged possession of child sexual abuse and exploitation material.

The latest removals bring renewed attention to the sweeping federal crackdown on cruise ship workers entering Boston, with Filipino seafarers among those increasingly caught in the operation.