FBI Tampa Urges Cruise Passengers To Report Crimes

With summer cruise season in full swing, the FBI’s Tampa field office is telling passengers and crew not to sit on serious complaints. The agency is urging anyone who experiences or witnesses crimes such as assault with serious bodily injury, kidnapping, or sexual assault on a cruise ship to report the incident to ship security immediately and then follow up with law enforcement once the vessel docks. Federal agents warn that waiting to speak up can make key evidence much tougher to secure. For people who cannot report while still at sea, the bureau is also reminding travelers that national phone and online tip lines are available.

What FBI Tampa Is Telling Cruise Travelers

The Tampa field office posted a short advisory on its social feed, listing the types of serious offenses it wants reported to ship security without delay and reminding travelers to contact local police and the FBI after they disembark. The post also points people who cannot file a report on board to the FBI’s national tip resources. You can see the original message from FBI Tampa.

Federal Guidance on Crimes at Sea

The FBI’s public guidance for crimes that happen on cruise ships explains which incidents usually fall under federal jurisdiction and stresses that timing is critical so shipboard evidence and logs can be preserved. It advises victims and witnesses who are no longer on the vessel to contact local police and to either call 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324) or submit information through the FBI tip portal. According to the FBI, fast reporting helps investigators secure surveillance video, medical records, and other evidence before it disappears.

Why Timing Matters Right Now

Federal prosecutors point to long-running investigations and recent guilty pleas as the backdrop for this summertime warning. A June press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of Texas highlights a former crew member who pleaded guilty to sexually abusing a 15-year-old passenger in a 2003 incident after years as a fugitive, underscoring that federal cases can track conduct that took place on board years earlier. The bureau’s seasonal reminder arrives as those prosecutions, plus a packed cruise calendar, focus more attention on crimes at sea and how quickly they get reported.

How to Report and What Victims Should Do

Victims or witnesses are urged to notify onboard security as soon as possible, ask for medical care, and request that staff document and preserve clothing, bedding, and any other potential evidence. If you have already left the ship, the guidance is to contact local law enforcement and then call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or use the FBI’s online tip portal for non-emergencies and to upload files. The FBI and local agencies can provide victim-services referrals and privacy protections, and medical providers can collect forensic evidence that is highly time-sensitive.

Legal Note

Under the Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act, cruise operators that embark or disembark passengers in the United States must promptly report certain serious incidents to the nearest FBI field office and are required to preserve evidence and security footage. That statutory duty allows federal investigators to coordinate with shipboard security while vessels are still in port or are on the way, which is why officials keep emphasizing immediate reporting. For the law’s reporting provisions, see 46 U.S.C. § 3507 in the U.S. Code.

Where This Hits Home in Tampa

Tampa serves as a busy summer homeport for several cruise lines, so the Tampa field office’s reminder directly affects local residents, visiting passengers, and workers moving through Port Tampa Bay’s terminals. For anyone who needs to report an incident, the FBI’s local office contact information appears alongside the national reporting options on the agency’s victim guidance pages.