Last week in Arkansas, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of Field Operations officers arrested three Indonesian nationals who had deserted cruise ships throughout the country.
While it’s unclear how many came from the Carnival Fantasy, Fox 10 News reported that CBP officers in Mobile had been informed in June that some of the crew had failed to report back to the ship after shore leave. This prompted an investigation by many law enforcement agencies, including the Border Enforcement Security Task Force.
While it’s impossible to catch everyone every time, the “U.S. Customs and Border Protection maintains a high level of vigilance and works closely with a myriad of law enforcement partners as part of efforts to manage our borders,” said Steven Stavinoha Director, New Orleans Office of Field Operations, in the news release. “This is just the latest example of the men and women of CBP working hard every day to secure our borders and keep our Nation safe.”
It is unclear at this time if further security measures will be put in place to ensure crew members return to their ship. However, the Carnival Fantasy currently calls the Mobile port home.
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