Passengers returning from a Disney Cruise Line voyage to Catalina Island and Ensenada last month watched in disbelief as crew members - some still wearing Disney-issued uniforms and name tags - were escorted off ships in restraints by federal agents at San Diego’s B Street Cruise Terminal. Now, U.S. Customs and Border Protection has confirmed the operation was tied to alleged child sexual exploitation material offenses involving workers aboard multiple cruise ships.
The revelations come just days after Disney Cruise Line publicly announced a major long-term expansion in San Diego, including plans to roughly double its annual sailings from the city through at least 2031.
According to statements provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection to multiple media outlets, federal agents boarded five cruise ships between April 23 and April 25 as part of ongoing Child Sexual Exploitation Material enforcement operations. Authorities ultimately detained 28 crew members from several cruise lines, including Disney Cruise Line vessels and at least one Holland America ship.
CBP stated that officers interviewed 26 crew members from the Philippines, one from Portugal, and one from Indonesia before determining the individuals were allegedly involved in “the receipt, possession, transportation, distribution, or viewing” of child sexual exploitation material, commonly referred to as CSEM.
Federal authorities said the crew members’ visas were revoked and that the individuals are being removed from the United States.
Disney later issued a statement confirming the workers are no longer employed by the company.
“We have a zero-tolerance policy for this type of behavior and fully cooperated with law enforcement. These individuals are no longer with the company,” a Disney spokesperson said.
One of the most visible incidents unfolded aboard the Disney Magic after the ship returned to San Diego from a four-night Baja itinerary. Passenger Dharmi Mehta, who spoke with multiple news outlets including Daylight San Diego and NBC affiliates, described watching federal agents escort crew members away from the vessel while passengers exited the terminal.
“He was full in uniform,” Mehta said of one detained worker who had served her family during the voyage. “Some of the other employees were still in their chef’s uniforms with their name tags on it.”
Mehta described the arrests as “really unsettling” and said she became concerned after noticing workers appeared to be detained without personal belongings or any obvious means of contacting family members overseas.
Video recorded by passengers showed federal agents leading workers into white vans outside the B Street Cruise Terminal while vacationers looked on.
Before authorities publicly disclosed the nature of the alleged offenses, immigration advocacy groups initially condemned the arrests and demanded answers regarding the whereabouts and treatment of detained maritime workers. Organizations including Unión del Barrio, Tanggol Migrante Movement and Anakbayan San Diego held a press conference questioning whether crew members had access to due process and consular assistance.
Benjamin Prado of Unión del Barrio described the detentions as part of “a growing pattern” involving migrant workers nationwide, while activists questioned whether cruise employees who remained aboard docked vessels were technically seeking entry into the United States.
However, the subsequent disclosure that the operation centered on alleged child sexual exploitation material offenses dramatically shifted public understanding of the enforcement action.
The Port of San Diego later clarified that Harbor Police played no role in the operation, emphasizing that the B Street Cruise Terminal functions as a federal port of entry where immigration and customs enforcement falls exclusively under federal jurisdiction.
“In accordance with California law, including SB 54, Harbor Police does not participate in immigration enforcement activities,” a port spokesperson said.
The timing of the operation has only intensified attention surrounding the incident because it occurred almost simultaneously with Disney Cruise Line’s announcement of a major San Diego expansion agreement.
On April 28, Disney Cruise Line and the Port of San Diego confirmed a long-term homeport agreement extending Disney’s local operations through at least 2031. Under the deal, Disney is expected to roughly double its annual sailings from San Diego while receiving non-exclusive priority access to both north and south berths at the B Street Cruise Terminal, the same facility where the arrests occurred.
Port officials projected that more than one million passengers will pass through San Diego under the agreement, marking the first time in more than two decades that a cruise operator committed to a minimum annual passenger guarantee at the port.
The expansion plans call for both the Disney Magic and Disney Wonder to operate seasonal itineraries from San Diego during the 2026-27 cruise season, with routes servicing Catalina Island, Ensenada, Cabo San Lucas and Puerto Vallarta.
The juxtaposition of Disney’s highly publicized San Diego growth strategy and a federal child exploitation enforcement operation involving workers aboard its vessels has sent shockwaves through both the local tourism industry and the broader cruise sector.
The incident also renews scrutiny surrounding the unique labor structure of the global cruise industry, where large numbers of crew members often work under foreign contracts and international maritime employment systems that can complicate oversight and enforcement. Cruise ships frequently employ workers from dozens of countries operating under varying visa classifications while traveling across international jurisdictions.
Federal authorities have not publicly identified the detained workers, nor disclosed whether criminal charges have yet been formally filed in the United States. Officials also have not specified which additional cruise ships outside of Disney vessels were involved in the operation.
For now, the arrests remain one of the most disturbing and high-profile federal enforcement actions to unfold along San Diego’s waterfront in recent years, transforming what passengers initially assumed was an immigration dispute into a far darker investigation tied to alleged child exploitation offenses aboard ships catering largely to families and children.
Originally published on May 6, 2026.
