'Suspected homicide' under investigation on cruise ship that docked in Texas: FBI

A "suspected homicide" is under investigation on board a cruise ship that docked in Texas, the FBI said Monday.

The incident occurred on board an MSC Seascape cruise ship that docked in Galveston on Monday, according to the FBI's Houston field office.

The suspect, 48-year-old Jason Watford of Tyler, Texas, is now in custody in connection with the alleged homicide, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Watford has been booked into the Galveston County Jail and is on a federal hold in connection with the alleged murder.

According to an affidavit in support of a criminal complaint for murder filed Monday, a housekeeper called other employees after seeing "what she believed to be blood on Subject's hands and pants as well as a motionless female lying face down on the floor" while providing towels to the room.

The affidavit alleges that, in an interview with FBI personnel, Watford said he and the victim had been arguing at a restaurant on the ship before he returned to their room and the victim returned afterward.

When the verbal dispute escalated, the document alleges, Watford said, "he struck Victim 1 multiple times ..."

The affidavit further alleges Watford communicated that, "at some point during the altercation, he began to choke Victim 1 with both hands."

"Subject stated that he applied pressure to Victim 1's neck for approximately four to five minutes and released his hold only after becoming exhausted. Subject stated that, after releasing his grip, Victim 1 lay motionless on the floor for approximately 10 minutes before MSC Housekeeper A.D. knocked on his door," the affidavit said.

According to Smith County Court records, Watford was previously arrested in August of 2024 for assault on a family member causing bodily injury. Later that year, in November, Watford was sentenced to 15 months of probation with 30 hours of community service for that assault charge.

Meanwhile, an autopsy on the victim, a woman, is expected to be performed on Tuesday, according to the Galveston County medical examiner.

The FBI said it is coordinating with the U.S. Coast Guard, Port of Galveston Police Department, Customs and Border Protection and the cruise line "as is customary with crimes aboard a cruise ship."

No additional details are being released due to the ongoing investigation, the FBI said.

An MSC Cruises spokesperson said the company is "cooperating fully with the investigation and providing support to those impacted."

"On reporting a guest incident aboard our ship, we were instructed by the authorities to return to the Port of Galveston," the spokesperson said.

The ship has since left port and resumed its planned itinerary, according to the cruise line.

"As this is an active investigation, we cannot provide more details," the MSC Cruises spokesperson said. "Our thoughts are with the guest's family and friends at this difficult time."

A travel agent who is traveling on the cruise ship told ABC Houston station KTRK that they are traveling on a seven-day western Caribbean cruise that departed Galveston on Sunday afternoon.

The passenger, De'Andre Anderson, told the station that announcements on the ship alerted that there was a "medical emergency" on board.

"I kind of look out of my room, and I seen there were medical staff on board, you know, with gloves on and everything," he told KTRK. "I wasn't you know too worried because it doesn't directly affect me. I was just worried for the people that were involved."