FBI probes reported death on docked cruise ship in Galveston
The agency is coordinating with the Coast Guard and local police after a homicide was reported on the MSC Seascape.
By Luana Sato ·
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating a reported homicide on a cruise ship currently moored in Galveston, Texas. The incident occurred aboard the MSC Seascape, which arrived at the port earlier on Monday.
The FBI’s Texas City office confirmed it is responding to the reported incident. A maritime liaison agent is now working alongside the U.S. Coast Guard, the Port of Galveston Police Department, Customs and Border Patrol, and the cruise line. No further details about the victim or the circumstances were released immediately.
Federal agents have jurisdiction over crimes on vessels within U.S. territorial waters. This authority depends on several factors, including the location of the ship, the nationalities of the people involved, and where the vessel is flagged. The FBI is empowered to investigate specific offenses, such as murder, attempted murder, kidnapping, sexual assault, and robbery.
MSC is a privately held cruise line founded in Naples, Italy, in 1988. It operates 23 ships and ranks as the third largest in the world. About half of its fleet is flagged in Panama, while the rest are flagged in Malta. The MSC Seascape is flagged in Malta. The ship typically carries more than 5,800 passengers and roughly 1,600 crew members, and its current itineraries focus on Caribbean cruises.
