FBI investigates suspected homicide on MSC Seascape after return to Galveston

Federal investigators from the FBI’s Houston office responded on Monday after the MSC Seascape cruise ship docked in Galveston, Texas, following a report of a suspected homicide. The ship had left Galveston on Sunday for a seven-night voyage to Mexico and Honduras and was instructed to return after the incident was reported.

A man was taken into custody by Port Police and placed in the Galveston County Jail on an FBI hold, according to the Galveston County Sheriff's Office. No further details about the victim, the circumstances of the death, or any suspect have been released.

"FBI Texas City is responding to a suspected homicide onboard the MSC Seascape cruise ship that docked in Galveston on November 9, 2026," the bureau said in a statement.

A Maritime Liaison Agent from the FBI’s Texas City Resident Agency is coordinating the investigation with the U.S. Coast Guard, Port of Galveston Police, Customs and Border Protection and MSC Cruises.

MSC Cruises confirmed that authorities instructed the vessel to return after the cruise line reported an incident involving a guest. The cruise line said it is cooperating fully with the investigation and providing support to those affected.

"We are cooperating fully with the investigation and providing support to those impacted. The ship has left the port and resumed its planned itinerary," a spokesperson for MSC Cruises said.

The spokesperson added that, because the investigation is ongoing, no additional information could be provided and expressed sympathy for the guest’s family and friends.

The Seascape, which entered service in 2022 and sails under the Maltese flag, can accommodate more than 5,800 passengers and about 1,600 crew members. Its itinerary included scheduled stops in Costa Maya and Cozumel, Mexico, and Roatán, Honduras, with the first port of call slated for Wednesday in Costa Maya.