FBI investigating possible killing aboard a cruise ship

The FBI is investigating a “suspected homicide” aboard a cruise ship that returned to port after departing from Galveston, Texas, the agency said in a statement Monday.

The FBI did not provide further details, saying the investigation was ongoing. The company that operates the MSC Seascape said the vessel has since resumed its voyage and left Galveston as of Monday afternoon.

“On reporting a guest incident aboard our ship, we were instructed by the authorities to return to the Port of Galveston,” Natasha Fernandez, a spokesperson for MSC Cruises, said in a statement.

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The company is cooperating with authorities and providing support to those impacted, she said.

MSC Seascape currently runs from Galveston to the Caribbean for five- and seven-night stays, according to the company’s website. The towering white vessel has 2,270 cabins, more than 1,600 crew and can host nearly 5,900 guests. The ship switched from Miami to Galveston last November, according to a news release.

Homicide investigations on cruise ships are uncommon. Earlier this year, a teenager was charged with murder and aggravated sexual abuse in the death of his 18-year-old stepsister on a Carnival Cruise ship out of Florida.

“The FBI is the primary federal agency authorized to investigate potential crimes on the high seas,” the bureau noted in a post on X.