A passenger-related incident aboard the MSC Seascape sent the ship back to her homeport of Galveston only hours after departing. Now, the FBI has been called in to launch an investigation into a death which is being classified as a suspected homicide.
Why the Ship Returned to Galveston
According to a statement from MSC Cruises, they reported a guest incident aboard the ship and “were instructed by the authorities to return to the Port of Galveston. We are cooperating fully with the investigation and providing support to those impacted.”
Although the ship returned to the port only hours after departing, it has since departed again to resume its planned itinerary.”
On X, FBI Houston said that the agency was the “primary federal agency authorized to investigate potential crimes on the high seas.”
In conjunction with that statement, the agency also said “FBI Texas City is responding to a suspected homicide on board the MSC Seascape cruise ship that docked in Galveston on November 9, 2026. As is customy with crimes aboard a cruise ship, an FBI Maritime Agent based out of the Texas City Resident Agency is coordinating with the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), the Port of Galveston Police Department, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the cruise line.”
Their statement concluded by saying that, “Since this is an ongoing investigation, no additional details will be provided.”
One local news outlet reported a man being removed from the ship in handcuffs, although they could not say definitively that he was involved with the incident in question. In fact, no details have been released regarding the alleged victim, attacker or circumstances under which the homicide is alleged to have taken place.
