Cruise crime wave erupts as ships from key port hit shocking new record

Crimes on cruises departing from U.S. ports have hit a two-year high, according to a recent report from the United States Department of Transportation (DOT). In the first quarter of 2025, 48 serious crimes were reported on these ships.

These incidents were reported to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) as mandated by federal law. All incidents occurred on cruises operated by commercial companies, either leaving or returning to the U.S. The data reveals that over half of these crimes were rapes or sexual assaults.

One of the most severe cases occurred on the Independence of the Seas cruise, run by Royal Caribbean. In March, two passengers, Jose Prudencio Díaz (36) and Ricardo Daniel Mondragón Leal (37), were arrested after being accused of sexually abusing a 14-year-old minor.

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The incident took place in the ship's sauna, where the two men allegedly began to masturbate in front of the minor and forced the minor to touch them. One of them also coerced the minor into performing a sexual act, according to court documents from the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Department.

Diaz was HIV positive at the time of the incident, as per tweets from Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. Another incident happened in April on Carnival Cruise Line, which has held onto its reputation as the most violent cruise line.

A video that surfaced on social media shows a chaotic scene with passengers embroiled in a significant brawl while disembarking at the port of Galveston, Texas. The footage captures several individuals engaging in physical combat, striking and shoving each other as they exit the terminal.

Carnival Cruise Line relayed to Fox News Digital that a total of 24 individuals involved in the commotion have been banned from future voyages by being added to their "no boarding list."

According to a DOT report, of all crimes reported, there were 23 alleged rape incidents, 10 instances of sexual assault, and 7 occurrences of physical assault. These episodes transpired while ships were cruising, not while docked at a port.

Typically, these incidents unfold in open areas like bars, saunas, pools, or nightclubs, and also within private cabins. Authorities note that it's usually passengers who are both victims and assailants, though crew members can sometimes be implicated as well.

Robert McDonald, an ex-Secret Service agent, informed Fox News Digital that cruises are notorious hotspots for criminal activity due to the dense population in confined spaces, increased alcohol consumption, and the general relaxed state of holidaying passengers.

However, McDonald also pointed out that certain cruise lines may delay reporting such incidents, fearing damage to their reputation.

He commented: "This negative information puts a dark cloud over the industry."