Disney Fantasy departing from Port Canaveral. (Credit: Chris Gent)
Multiple Disney Cruise Line employees were among 28 foreign crew members nabbed in a massive U.S. Customs and Border Protection child sexual exploitation operation.
Between April 23 and April 27, 2026, CBP agents boarded at least five cruise ships docked in San Diego, including a Disney vessel, and arrested 28 crew members for allegedly receiving, possessing, transporting, distributing, or viewing child sexual abuse material (CSAM/child pornography).
Of the 28 arrested, 27 were confirmed to be involved in these sickening crimes. The suspects were primarily from the Philippines, with one from Portugal and one from Indonesia. Their visas were immediately revoked and they were removed from the United States.
Disney cruise ship staffers among 28 arrested in massive child porn operation https://t.co/syY3rRMsNf pic.twitter.com/fPgTMXF5ZH
— New York Post (@nypost) May 7, 2026
New York Post reported:
“We have a zero-tolerance policy for this type of behavior and fully cooperated with law enforcement. While the majority of these individuals were not from our cruise line, those who were are no longer with the company,” a Disney spokesperson told The California Post.
It’s unclear which other ships the additional crew members may have worked on outside of Disney.
Passengers aboard a Disney cruise ship docking in San Diego were stunned as they documented multiple employees getting arrested last month.
Vacationers watched as immigration officials cuffed several employees on the Disney Magic ship while it was being unloaded. Passenger Dharmi Mehta took a video of the moment, saying one of those detained was her server.
Prior to the news about what the arrests were allegedly for, several immigration rights groups were up in arms about the Disney arrests, and also claimed four “seafarers” were arrested on the Holland America MV Zandaam cruise ship.
Initial reports incorrectly suggested the operation was related to immigration enforcement or ICE raids. However, CBP later clarified that the operation specifically targeted alleged child exploitation offenses, not immigration violations.
The shocking arrests have fueled renewed concerns about criminal activity aboard international cruise operations, where many employees work under foreign visas and move frequently between countries and ports.
The post Disney Cruise Ship Staffers Among 28 Predators Arrested in Massive Child Porn Sting appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.