U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers located at the Port of Boston took 87 foreign cruise ship crew members into custody as part of an ongoing operation to crack down against the deplorable act of child pornography. Referred to as “Operation Tidal Wave,” the project entailed multiple law enforcement agencies targeting the possession and distribution of material featuring children being sexually abused and exploited.
The operation, which saw 87 total crewmembers taken down by CBP, follows hot on the heels of another recent enforcement action that happened in late September 2026, that led to the removal of six additional crewmen from a ship called Breakaway at the Port of Boston. Information about the operations was released by CBP to the general public.
On September 20, officers with the CBP had an encounter with six citizens hailing from the Philippines aboard a cruise ship. They admitted to previously having in material featuring child sexual abuse/child sexual exploitation material during a second interview. Their living quarters and electronic devices were thoroughly searched. Upon completion of the searches, all six were immediately processed for removal under provisions contained in the Immigration and Nationality Act related to crimes involving moral turpitude.
According to a report from Breitbart News Acting Director of Field Operations Julio Caravia issued comments concerning the latest results of the operation, going on to say, “The success of Operation Tidal Wave reflects the unwavering dedication of our officers and partners to protect the most vulnerable. Let the removal of these 87 be a message to others: we will not accept this exploitation, and CBP will not stop identifying and arresting the individuals who participate in it.”
The news outlet’s Texas branch reported in August 2026 that CBP officers, along with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) HSI special agents arrested a total of eleven alien crewmembers at the Port of Boston during a previous enforcement action connected to Operation Tidal Wave. CBP officers and HSI special agents participated in the arrests and made the trip from the home office in Fort Lauderdale.
At that point in the overall operation, a total of eleven foreign crew members were taken into custody between August 14 and August 16. The crewmembers caught the attention of investigators who were working to battle against the reception and disbursement of child sexual abuse material. All of these individuals were ultimately booted out of the country.
The first phase of Operation Tidal Wave was conducted in San Diego, California at the start of Spring. Administrative enforcement actions were taken, leading to the arrest of 27 crewmembers from six different ships. The second phase was San Juan, Puerto Rico. That enforcement action took place between June and July and resulted in the arrest of 14 people, along with the approval of a federal prosecution in one of the cases. Efforts that have been carried out through the summer in Boston have yielded consistent arrests, providing greater protection for children in the local area and abroad.
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