At least 26 Filipino crew members were removed from the United States after federal agents boarded cruise ships docked in San Diego and found evidence linking the seafarers to child sexual exploitation material, according to statements from both US and Philippine authorities.
US Customs and Border Protection confirmed to USA TODAY that agents inspected eight cruise vessels between April 23 and 27 as part of an enforcement operation targeting the receipt, possession, transportation, distribution, or viewing of child sexual exploitation material and child pornography. Of 28 crew members interviewed — 26 from the Philippines, one from Portugal, and one from Indonesia — CBP said 27 were found to have been involved in some form.
The Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles acknowledged the deportations in a May 5 statement, though it disclosed neither the number of Filipinos involved nor the names of the cruise lines. The consulate confirmed it had forwarded information about the affected seafarers to the Department of Migrant Workers through the Migrant Workers Office in Los Angeles, and said those who have returned to the Philippines are eligible for DMW assistance.
On the limits of its intervention, the consulate was direct: CBP holds the authority to determine the admissibility of individuals entering the United States, and its decisions “preclude external intervention.” Consular access, the statement noted, does not change any ruling already made by US authorities.
Where the consulate can act, it said, is through welfare checks, notifying family members and employers, and relaying urgent medical concerns to CBP — functions handled jointly with the Migrant Workers Office and the DMW.
