CBP Deports 27 Cruise Ship Workers for Child Pornography Involvement

U.S. Customs and Border Protection deported 27 cruise ship workers accused of involvement in receiving or producing child pornography, the agency said in a statement Monday.

CBP officers boarded eight cruise ships docked in San Diego from April 23 to 27 during an ongoing probe into child sexual exploitation material. The agency detained 28 employees and found that 27 had received, possessed, transported, distributed or viewed child sexual exploitation material or child pornography, a CBP spokesperson said.

Officers canceled visas for the 27 people, 26 of whom came from the Philippines, and sent them back to their home countries.

At least 10 of those detained worked for Disney Cruise Line. A company spokesperson said Disney has a zero-tolerance policy for such behavior and cooperated fully with investigators. Most of those involved did not work for Disney, but those who did no longer do so.

Holland America also confirmed some of its employees took part in the probe. The company called the allegations deeply disturbing and said it had terminated those workers.

No charges are pending against the individuals in the Southern District of California, a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney's Office there said.

A source familiar with CBP operations said the standard for deportation is lower than for criminal prosecution. A criminal charge is not needed to deem someone inadmissible or revoke a visa, as administrative rules differ from criminal standards, the source said. CBP can cancel visas and bar entry anytime new information emerges after issuance.