U.S. CBP Removes Cruise Crew Member From Pearl Mist

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is continuing enforcement activity involving cruise ship crew members, following the deportation of 27 cruise workers last month as part of an ongoing investigation into alleged child sexual exploitation material offenses.

According to reports, another crew member was removed yesterday from the cruise ship Pearl Mist by CBP officers while the vessel was in the Port of Detroit.

The crew member, reportedly a Filipino able seaman (A/B), was said to have been called to meet with ship management after CBP officials boarded the vessel and spoke with senior officers.

The CBP came onboard and directly talked to the captain, and then management called the A/B while he was on duty. He was deported immediately,” a crew member told a media outlet.

The source also claimed this was not the first incident of its kind at the port, stating that three similar cases have taken place aboard Pearl Mist since last year during visits to Detroit.

Pearl Mist, operated by Pearl Seas Cruises, carries 210 passengers and has around 65 crew members. The ship operates itineraries in the Great Lakes, Canada, New England and the St. Lawrence Seaway, calling at ports in both the United States and Canada.

The reported removal comes as cruise ship crew entering U.S. ports face increased scrutiny. In recent months, federal authorities have carried out several arrests, visa cancellations and deportations involving crew members from multiple cruise lines as part of ongoing law enforcement investigations.