26 Filipino seafarers deported after CBP arrests at US port

LOS ANGELES – US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents in San Diego have arrested 28 seafarers, including 26 Filipinos, aboard cruise ships as part of a federal crackdown on child pornography.

The arrests took place between April 23 and April 27 after a raid on eight cruise ships “as part of ongoing Child Sexual Exploitation Material enforcement operations,” a CBP spokesperson said in a statement sent to ABC 10News Thursday.

“After boarding the vessels and interviewing 26 suspected crew members from the Philippines, one suspected crew member from Portugal, and one from Indonesia, officers confirmed that 27 of the 28 subjects were involved in either the receipt, possession, transportation, distribution, or viewing of CSEM or child pornography,” the statement said.

“CBP cancelled their visas and these criminals have been returned to their country of citizenship.”

The Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles confirmed the arrests and deportation of the Filipino seafarers.

“The Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles views with concern that a number of Filipino seafarers working as crew members were among those detained by the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) authorities in San Diego and were confirmed to have been returned to the Philippines,” the Consulate said in a statement.

You may like: 7 Filipino seafarers injured in reported Iranian drone attack

After confirming the detained Filipinos’ status as seafarers, the Consulate said it notified the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) through the Migrant Workers Office in Los Angeles about the incident.

“Upon their arrival in the Philippines, these Filipino seafarers are eligible to receive assistance from the DMW and other concerned government agencies,” the statement said.

“The Consulate General recognizes that the CBP has the authority to vet individuals seeking entry into the United States through its air, sea or land port of entries; the CBP applies their own inspection and admissibility review of foreign nationals based on prevailing US laws which precludes external intervention.”

Disney Cruise, whose staff members were among those arrested by CBP agents, said they “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.

In a series of Philippine government-sponsored seminars, Filipino seafarers have been warned about child pornography, drug trafficking and other issues that could lead to detention and deportation from the United States.

The post 26 Filipino seafarers deported after CBP arrests at US port appeared first on USNewsRank.