Local
Boston cruise terminal operation leads to more than 120 crew arrests
More than 120 cruise ship crew members were arrested in a child sexual exploitation crackdown at Flynn Cruiseport Boston. The investigation included a search of a Norwegian Jewel crew member whose activity had generated dozens of reports to a tip-clearinghouse, court filings say.
More than 120 cruise ship crew members were arrested as part of a federal crackdown on child sexual exploitation at Boston’s Flynn Cruiseport, according to a report published Oct. 22, 2026.
The investigation included the Norwegian Jewel, a ship with capacity for about 2,300 passengers, as it prepared to dock in Boston in late September. Court filings say one crew member had been flagged about 75 times to a clearinghouse that receives tips related to child sexual exploitation.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers searched the crew member and two cellphones, then brought in agents from Homeland Security Investigations, according to the filings.
The arrests underscore the role ports can play in federal investigations that cross jurisdictions. The available details do not identify the crew members arrested or specify the charges against them.