San Diego, CA — Disney Cruise Line says it fully cooperated with federal investigators after multiple crew members connected to cruise ships docking in San Diego were arrested in a child sexual exploitation investigation that led to the revocation of visas and deportations. The operation, carried out by U.S. Customs and Border Protection at the B Street Cruise Terminal in late April, targeted workers accused of possessing, distributing, transporting, or viewing child sexual abuse material.
The arrests drew widespread attention after passengers aboard the Disney Magic watched crew members in uniform being handcuffed and escorted off the ship by federal agents. Initial reports and activist reactions framed the incident as an immigration crackdown, but federal authorities later confirmed the operation centered on alleged child exploitation offenses involving cruise ship employees across several vessels.
Federal Operation Expanded Beyond Disney Ship
According to CBP, the enforcement action took place between April 23 and April 27 and involved five cruise ships docking in San Diego. A total of 28 workers were arrested.
Federal officials said 27 of those individuals were linked to the receipt, possession, transportation, distribution, or viewing of Child Sexual Exploitation Material, commonly referred to as CSEM. The workers arrested included 26 individuals from the Philippines, one from Portugal, and one from Indonesia.
Disney emphasized that not all of the workers arrested were employed by Disney Cruise Line.
A spokesperson for Disney Cruise Line said the company maintains “a zero-tolerance policy for this type of behavior and fully cooperated with law enforcement.” The company added that any workers connected to Disney who were implicated in the investigation “are no longer with the company.”
Advocacy Group Initially Condemned Arrests
Before the nature of the federal investigation became public, immigration advocacy organization Union del Barrio criticized the detentions, believing the operation involved migrant labor enforcement.
“It is our responsibility as a society, as working people, to really denounce these actions by Customs and Border Protection, by ICE, and the prolonged detention of migrant workers,” the group said in a public statement following the arrests.
The confusion stemmed from the highly visible nature of the operation at the cruise terminal, where passengers and bystanders reportedly saw chefs, servers, and other hospitality staff removed from ships by armed federal agents.
Officials later clarified that the B Street Cruise Terminal operates as a federal port of entry, placing customs and immigration enforcement under federal jurisdiction rather than local San Diego authorities.
Democrats have taken to social media to criticize ICE agents ‘targeting’ Disney, despite the company’s full cooperation in the operation.
Key Points
• CBP arrested 28 cruise ship workers during a federal child exploitation investigation in San Diego
• Disney says employees tied to the probe no longer work for the company
• Federal authorities revoked visas and removed implicated workers from the United States
Passengers Witnessed Crew Members Escorted Off Ships
Travelers aboard the Disney Magic described the arrests as shocking, particularly because several of the detained workers had interacted with passengers during the voyage.
Witnesses reported seeing multiple crew members handcuffed on the dock shortly after the ship arrived in San Diego. Some passengers initially believed the operation involved visa issues or undocumented labor enforcement because agents from Customs and Border Protection were heavily involved.
The federal government has not publicly released detailed charging information for each individual arrested, but CBP stated the investigation focused specifically on child sexual exploitation material offenses.
The operation also reignited debate surrounding cruise industry labor practices, migrant worker protections, and screening procedures for international crews working aboard ships entering U.S. ports.
Disney Faces Scrutiny Despite Limited Connection
Although CBP said the arrests involved workers from multiple cruise lines, Disney became a focal point of online attention because the Disney Magic was among the vessels connected to the operation.
Social media reaction intensified after early reports described the workers as “immigrant cruise workers,” sparking political arguments over immigration enforcement before authorities disclosed the criminal allegations tied to the investigation.
Disney’s statement attempted to distance the broader company from the accused individuals while stressing cooperation with federal authorities.
“We have a zero-tolerance policy for this type of behavior and fully cooperated with law enforcement,” the company said.
Federal officials confirmed the visas of the arrested workers were revoked following the investigation, and the individuals were removed from the United States.
Investigation Highlights Security Concerns in Cruise Industry
The case has drawn attention to the international makeup of cruise ship staffing and the legal complexity of crimes involving workers who travel between countries and operate in maritime jurisdictions.
Cruise lines routinely employ workers from dozens of nations, many of whom enter the United States temporarily through maritime or work-related visa programs. Federal agencies, including CBP and Homeland Security Investigations, regularly monitor ports of entry for immigration violations, trafficking concerns, and digital exploitation crimes.
The Port of San Diego reiterated that enforcement actions at the cruise terminal fall under federal authority and are not directed by local police agencies.
As of Thursday, federal authorities had not announced additional arrests connected to the operation or released information about pending prosecutions beyond confirming the child exploitation investigation. Disney says any workers connected to its cruise operations who were implicated have been terminated.