U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers and Immigration and Customs Enforcement HSI special agents arrested eleven alien crewmembers at the Port of Boston during a recent operation targeting criminals involved in child pornography-related offenses. The investigation, dubbed “Operation Tidal Wave,” brought the officers and special agents from their home office in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to Boston to make the arrests.
The foreign-national crewmembers were arrested during the operation that took place between August 14 and August 16, 2026. The eleven crewmembers caught the eye of investigators who were focusing their efforts on combatting the reception and disbursement of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and child sexual exploitation material (CSEM).
During the operation, CBP officers and HSI agents boarded the cruise ships Volendam and Norwegian Breakaway, encountering the eleven individuals suspected of involvement in child sex abuse activities. Of the eleven arrestees, nine are citizens of the Philippines, one is a citizen of Indonesia, and one is a citizen of Nicaragua.
After boarding the ships, officers and agents conducted a comprehensive search of the crewmembers’ living quarters. The search included electronic devices in the suspects’ possession. After consultation with the United States Attorney’s Office, all eleven foreign crewmembers were processed for removal from the United States under a section of immigration law that allows for the exclusion of aliens involved in crimes involving moral turpitude.
According to CBP, the individuals were processed with the assistance of the shipping agent and are scheduled to depart the United States. Acting Director of Field Operations for CBP’s Boston Field Office Julio Caravia highlighted the importance of combatting child sex crimes, saying, “Protecting children from exploitation is among our highest priorities, and this operation demonstrates the critical role CBP officers play in identifying and stopping individuals who pose a threat to public safety. Through strong coordination with HSI, NCMEC, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and our law enforcement partners, we will continue to use every available authority to disrupt the possession and distribution of child sexual abuse material and prevent those involved from entering or remaining in the United States.”
Operation Tidal Wave is a multiagency initiative led by the CBP Office of Field Operations Enforcement Operations Division, in coordination with ICE HSI agents assigned to the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). According to CBP, the aim of the operation is 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.
Previous iterations of the operation have resulted in administrative enforcement actions against 27 crewmembers in San Diego, who were found on six separate vessels in April. During another phase, 14 crewmembers from three vessels were processed for administrative enforcement actions, and one crewmember was prosecuted federally in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in June and July of 2026.
ICE Homeland Security special agents derive their authority to investigate and make arrests for child sex exploitation crimes under broad investigative authorities granted by the Homeland Security Act of 2002. The investigative branch of ICE often makes arrests for violations of federal statutes by citizens and non-citizens alike.
HSI New England Acting Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey Grimming commented on the level of cooperation between ICE and CBP during this phase of Operation Tidal Wave, saying, “HSI is proud to stand with our colleagues at CBP to reaffirm our message: Anyone who possesses or transports child sexual abuse material is not welcome in the United States and will face serious consequences. Together, we leverage our unique authorities to seek justice for children victimized and exploited across the globe.”
Randy Clark is a 32-year veteran of the United States Border Patrol. Before his retirement, he served as the Division Chief for Law Enforcement Operations, directing operations for nine Border Patrol Stations within the Del Rio, Texas, Sector. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @RandyClarkBBTX.