FBI investigating suspected homicide aboard cruise ship docked in Texas

The FBI launched an investigation into an alleged homicide aboard a cruise ship that returned to a Texas port Monday, prompting federal authorities to respond to the vessel before it resumed its Caribbean voyage.The investigation centers on the MSC Seascape, which docked in Galveston after authorities directed the ship to return to port following an incident involving a passenger.The FBI’s Houston field office confirmed that its Texas City office was investigating a possible incident aboard the vessel Monday afternoon but declined to release additional details as the investigation continues. A suspect was in custody by Monday evening, the bureau announced. Authorities have not disclosed the identities of the suspect or victim, and it remains unclear if there is a relationship between the two.The suspect was later identified by multiple outlets via the Galveston County Jail as 48-year-old Jason Leon Watford.The FBI is also coordinating with the Coast Guard, Port of Galveston Police Department, Customs and Border Protection, and MSC Cruises in the investigation.MSC Cruises confirmed that the ship returned to Galveston at the direction of authorities after the incident was reported.“On reporting a guest incident aboard our ship, we were instructed by the authorities to return to the Port of Galveston,” a company spokesperson said in a statement, according to multiple reports.The company said the vessel departed Galveston on Monday afternoon and resumed its scheduled itinerary. MSC Cruises did not provide further information about the incident.The Seascape, which began operating out of Galveston in November 2025 after previously sailing from Miami, offers five- and seven-night voyages around the Caribbean.CONSERVATIVES BALK AT TRUMP’S ‘AMNESTY’ PROPOSAL: ‘TOTAL BETRAYAL’Nearly 6,000 passengers can stay aboard the ship in the over 2,200 cabins, and there are more than 1,600 crew members, according to the company’s website.The FBI has jurisdiction over certain crimes committed aboard cruise ships, including murder, depending on factors such as the vessel’s location, registration, and the nationalities of those involved.