9 Filipinos Arrested in U.S. Federal Cruise Ship Crackdown Under ‘Operation Tidal Wave’

Nine Filipino nationals were among 11 foreign nationals arrested by U.S. federal authorities during “Operation Tidal Wave,” a crackdown targeting suspected child sexual abuse and exploitation material aboard cruise ships.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection said the arrests were carried out between Friday and Sunday after federal agents boarded Holland America Line’s Volendam and Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Breakaway in Boston.

Of the 11 people taken into custody, nine are citizens of the Philippines, while one is from Indonesia and another is from Nicaragua.

Federal agents searched the individuals’ living quarters and electronic devices as part of the investigation into the alleged receipt and distribution of child sexual abuse material and child sexual exploitation material.

The arrests were conducted jointly by CBP and Homeland Security Investigations under Operation Tidal Wave, an initiative coordinated with the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

The operation specifically focuses on suspected child exploitation activity involving cruise ship crewmembers.

CBP said all 11 foreign nationals were processed for removal from the United States under the Immigration and Nationality Act for alleged crimes involving moral turpitude.

Authorities have not released the identities of the nine Filipinos or the two other foreign nationals. They also did not disclose how many arrests were made aboard each cruise ship.