Federal agents have shattered an alleged child exploitation ring operating aboard a Disney cruise ship after the vessel docked in San Diego, according to reports. Witnesses described a chaotic scene at the port as dozens of cruise employees — some still dressed in Disney character costumes — were led away in handcuffs during the sweeping operation.
More than two dozen Disney cruise ship workers were arrested by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in what authorities are describing as a major crackdown on child exploitation activity linked to the vessel.
Dharmi Mehta told the California Post that she was a passenger on one of the ships and that it was “really unsettling” seeing the arrests, including one worker who was her server during the five-day trip.
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“He was full in uniform, which was in a blazer, tie. Some of the other employees were still in their chef’s uniforms with their name tags on it,” Mehta said, told the outlet.
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In all, 28 people from three different countries — 26 from the Philippines, one from Indonesia and another from Portugal — were interviewed, and 27 were found to have taken part in the “receipt, possession, transportation, distribution, or viewing of [child sexual exploitation material] or child pornography,” according to CBP.
CBP agents boarded a total of eight cruise ships in the Port of San Diego between April 23 and April 27 in search of the suspects.
CBP said the suspects’ visas have been revoked, and they are scheduled for deportation.
The Port of San Diego told Fox News Digital that it was not involved in the law enforcement action, and that under California law, local and state authorities do not cooperate with federal immigration authorities.
In a statement to Fox News Digital, Disney said: “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.”
