Federal agents boarded two cruise ships in Boston last weekend and arrested 11 workers in a child sexual abuse material investigation, then moved all of them toward deportation. The enforcement action hit the MS Volendam and the Norwegian Breakaway while both ships were docked at Flynn Cruiseport Boston.
The arrests drew attention now because officials said on Thursday that the 11 workers had already been processed for deportation on moral turpitude grounds. That made the case an immigration action as much as a criminal one, even though the Massachusetts US attorney’s office had not yet said whether charges would be brought against the crew members.
The workers were identified after Customs and Border Protection officers and Boston Homeland Security Investigations agents searched employees’ living quarters and electronic devices on both ships, according to officials. Nine of the arrested workers were citizens of the Philippines, one was a citizen of Indonesia and one was a citizen of Nicaragua. The moves came after the federal investigation had already focused on shipboard employees who were working on vessels that stop at United States ports.
Norwegian Breakaway was in its first year in Boston and carries 4,000 passengers. Massport announced in April that it was the largest ship to ever port in Boston, a distinction that made the boarding on that vessel especially visible. The second ship, the MS Volendam, was also searched during the same operation.
The cruise lines said they were taking the situation seriously and fully cooperating with authorities. Holland America said it immediately terminated the individuals involved. Norwegian Cruise Line said the safety, security and well-being of guests remain paramount and that it was committed to maintaining a safe and secure environment across its fleet.
That leaves the sharpest question still open: whether the federal case will end at deportation or move into criminal court. For now, the 11 workers are already on the way out, while prosecutors in Massachusetts have not said whether they will file charges.
