Latest news with #U.S.CustomsandBorder
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Yahoo
Arizona border officers say they prevented likely child-trafficking attempt
April 30 (UPI) -- Border officers in Arizona prevented a possible child-trafficking attempt recently, federal officials said Wednesday. Earlier at the same port, officers apprehended a man with alleged child porn in a separate incident, officials also announced Wednesday. In the alleged child-trafficking incident, a 23-year-old woman -- a Mexican citizen and legal permanent U.S. resident -- was arrested Tuesday after CBP officers say she was allegedly attempting to smuggle into the United States a 5-year-old Mexican boy, according to U.S. Customs and Border officials at Arizona's port of San Luis. The unidentified female was stopped at about 3 a.m. local time driving a 2013 Chevrolet sedan with the young boy in a deep sleep in the vehicle's rear. According to officials, she presented a U.S. birth certificate for the child, who was in an "abnormally deep sleep and did not appear to be the age as indicated," and claimed to be his mother during a primary examination. CBP officials discovered that there was no family relationship between the child -- a Mexican citizen with no valid entry documents -- and the woman who claimed to be his mother. They further determined that the boy's birth certificate, while a legitimate document, did not belong to him. A February 2017 report suggested that cases of human trafficking in the United States spiked more than 35% in 2016 vs. 2015. According to border officers, the woman stated that she had given sleep sedatives to the minor prior to the attempted crossing to assist in evading detection. "Sedating children is a dangerous and common tactic we see utilized by human smugglers attempting to avoid detection through our ports of entry," said Chris Leon, area port director for San Luis. She is now in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations. More than 5 million children around the world were susceptible to trafficking and exploitation, the international children's charity Lumos said in 2021. In 2016, the FBI rescued nearly 100 exploited children and, arrested more than 200 in a large sex trafficking sting that later expanded to Canada, Cambodia, the Philippines and Thailand. "Our CBP officers are up to date on emerging smuggling trends and committed to safeguarding our borders, especially when it comes to the protection of children," Leon stated Wednesday. Meanwhile, in another case that reportedly took place last week but was reported Wednesday, an unidentified man was, likewise, taken into custody at the port of San Luis allegedly in possession of "obscene material" or what was also described as "child pornography," officials added. On Thursday, CBP officers encountered the man, a 27-year-old Mexican citizen, at about 8 a.m. local time while trying to enter the United States via Mexico. He possessed a B1/B2 visa, but was referred for further examination due to a "possibility" of being in violation of his visa status. While in the secondary inspection area, border officers performed an in-depth search of the suspect's belongings, which they added resulted in the discovery of "child pornography material." "This apprehension involving obscene material exploiting children emphasizes the importance of CBP's mission and commitment to keeping our communities safe," Leon wrote in a separate release.
New York Post
29-04-2025
- New York Post
Dozens put on ‘do not sail list' after massive brawl breaks out on Carnival Cruise ship
Disturbing video has captured the moment a massive brawl broke out among Carnival Cruise ship passengers in Texas — resulting in more than a dozen people being banned from the cruise liner for life. The violence erupted as scores of passengers were disembarking from the Carnival Jubilee when it docked in Galveston on Saturday following a week-long Caribbean jaunt, according to footage shared on social media. 'It went down this morning,' Trelle Ray, who shared the clip on Facebook, said. Advertisement The violence erupted as scores of passengers were disembarking from the Carnival Jubilee when it docked in Galveston on Saturday. Trelle Ray / Facebook The footage showed multiple passengers barging past barriers to trade blows. At one point, a man was shoved to the ground before a handful of others started violently pummeling him. Multiple security guards could be seen running towards the pack but they weren't able to immediately curb the melee. Advertisement Several open suitcases could be seen scattered around the terminal in the aftermath. 'The incident occurred in the debarkation area under the authority of U.S. Customs and Border (Protection),' a Carnival Cruise spokesperson told USA Today. 'This matter has been turned over to law enforcement. Meanwhile we will not tolerate such behavior, and 24 people have been placed on our Do Not Sail list.' Advertisement At least one person was arrested over the ordeal, police said. It was not immediately clear what had started the ruckus or what charges those arrested were facing. The Post reached out to the cruise liner but did not receive an immediate response.
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Yahoo
Video shows cruise passengers fighting at Galveston terminal, 24 travelers banned
Nearly 30 people are banned from sailing with Carnival Cruise Line after getting into a fight while disembarking a cruise over the weekend. Video footage of the April 26 incident appears to show a group of passengers shoving past barriers inside a terminal in Galveston, Texas, before pushing at least one person to the ground and punching them. The scuffle continues even as security guards intervene. 'It went down this morning,' wrote Trelle Ray, who shared the footage on Facebook. The user said the fight occurred as passengers were leaving Carnival Jubilee. Ray did not immediately respond to USA TODAY's request for comment. The ship was returning from a week-long Caribbean cruise with stops in Mexico and Honduras, according to CruiseMapper. The cause of the fight was not immediately clear. 'The incident occurred in the debarkation area under the authority of U.S. Customs and Border (Protection),' the cruise line told USA TODAY in an emailed statement. 'This matter has been turned over to law enforcement. Meanwhile we will not tolerate such behavior, and 24 people have been placed on our Do Not Sail list.' CBP did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Port of Galveston did not share a comment prior to publishing. The fight comes after video footage captured a large fight onboard Carnival Paradise in June 2024. Guests could be seen throwing chairs, tackling one another, and hitting each other in the ship's buffet area. Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at ndiller@ This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Carnival bans 24 people after cruise terminal fight: See video
USA Today
28-04-2025
- USA Today
Video shows cruise passengers fighting at Galveston terminal, 24 travelers banned
Video shows cruise passengers fighting at Galveston terminal, 24 travelers banned Nearly 30 people are banned from sailing with Carnival Cruise Line after getting into a fight while disembarking a cruise over the weekend. Video footage of the April 26 incident appears to show a group of passengers shoving past barriers inside a terminal in Galveston, Texas, before pushing at least one person to the ground and punching them. The scuffle continues even as security guards intervene. 'It went down this morning,' wrote Trelle Ray, who shared the footage on Facebook. The user said the fight occurred as passengers were leaving Carnival Jubilee. Ray did not immediately respond to USA TODAY's request for comment. The ship was returning from a week-long Caribbean cruise with stops in Mexico and Honduras, according to CruiseMapper. The cause of the fight was not immediately clear. 'The incident occurred in the debarkation area under the authority of U.S. Customs and Border (Protection),' the cruise line told USA TODAY in an emailed statement. 'This matter has been turned over to law enforcement. Meanwhile we will not tolerate such behavior, and 24 people have been placed on our Do Not Sail list.' CBP did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Port of Galveston did not share a comment prior to publishing. The fight comes after video footage captured a large fight onboard Carnival Paradise in June 2024. Guests could be seen throwing chairs, tackling one another, and hitting each other in the ship's buffet area. Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at ndiller@
