FBI Investigating Death on Carnival Cruise Ship with Multiple Agencies
A death on the Carnival Dream cruise ship based out of Galveston, Texas, is being investigated by authorities
FBI Houston is currently working with several agencies on the alleged incident
Carnival officials told PEOPLE it is "routine protocol" for the FBI to investigate deaths that occur on cruise shipsAn investigation is underway after a death on the Carnival Dream cruise ship based out of Galveston, Texas, according to reports.
At around 4:00 a.m. local time on Wednesday, July 23, passengers woke up to the sounds of sirens alerting them to an incident on board the ship as it was traveling to Costa Maya, Belize, KHOU and the Houston Chronicle reported.
One passenger reported hearing an announcement saying that medical assistance was needed on the Serenity Deck, according to the outlets.
KHOU, citing law enforcement sources, reported that a "death investigation" is underway.
An FBI spokesperson said in a statement to PEOPLE, 'I can confirm FBI Houston is aware of an incident that occurred around July 23, 2025, on the Carnival Dream cruise ship. An FBI maritime liaison agent, based out of the Texas City Resident Agency, is coordinating with the U.S. Coast Guard, Customs and Border Protection and the cruise line regarding this incident.'
FBI spokesperson Connor Hagan did not specify the nature of the case.
"It is standard practice for the FBI to review deaths that occur on cruise ships," a spokesperson for Carnival shared in a statement with PEOPLE on Monday. "It does not automatically imply suspicious circumstances, and the facts of this matter do not suggest any such activitiy."
The Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act of 2010 requires cruise line cruise ships to report any deaths to the FBI, per the agency's website.
The company added: "We extend our heartfelt sympathy to out guest's family and loved ones in this difficult time."
Carnival denied any investigation into a 'suspicious death' to CBS Austin following news of the incident.
The cruise line said in a statement to the outlet on July 27, "There is no investigation about a suspicious death on Carnival Dream, and it's disappointing to learn that any guests might be spreading rumors about something they know nothing about."
Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
The day of the alleged incident the Dream was in Belize City, making one of three stops during a six-day cruise after departing Galveston on July 20. The ship returned on Saturday, July 26, per the Houston Chronicle.
Read the original article on People
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
16 minutes ago
- Yahoo
What Happened to Pamela Butler? Inside the 2009 Murder Case That Linked Her Boyfriend to Another Woman's Death
Pamela Butler was dating Jose Rodriguez-Cruz at the time of her disappearanceNEED TO KNOW Pamela Butler was a federal employee who vanished in February 2009 Her disappearance would eventually be linked to another woman named Marta Rodriguez-Cruz, who went missing in May 1989 Both had been romantically involved with Jose Rodriguez-CruzPamela Butler vanished from her Washington, D.C. home and years later, Jose Rodriguez-Cruz, whom Pamela was dating at the time, would confess to murdering her. Pamela's disappearance was the focus of the 2022 Dateline episode, "A Haunting Stretch of Road," which NBC re-aired on Aug. 2 at 9 p.m. ET. On Feb. 12, 2009, Pamela, a federal worker, came home from work, walked into her house and was never heard from again. The investigation would eventually end up being linked to another woman who had also gone missing two decades earlier. "There was a very big void when Pam went missing," Pamela's friend, Rita Moss, told Dateline. So what happened to Pamela Butler? Here's everything to know about the 2009 murder and how it was connected to Marta Rodriguez-Cruz's 1989 death through Jose Rodriguez-Cruz. Who was Pamela Butler? Pamela was a 47-year-old federal employee of the United States Environmental Protection Agency in Washington, D.C., where she worked as a computer analyst. On Valentine's Day in 2009, Pamela had plans to pick up her mother, Thelma, for dinner, but she never showed. Jose was also supposed to join them, and when Thelma's calls went unanswered, Pamela's brother, Derrick, reassured her that they must have lost track of time. After not hearing from Pamela for days, her mom and nephew visited Pamela's house. Upon their arrival, they found mail piled up on the front porch and a suspicious scene inside, with papers and items thrown about — and Pamela nowhere to be found. At that point, Thelma realized her daughter had also missed work. Pamela's house was equipped with security cameras and motion detection lights, so if she had left her house, how would it not have been captured on video? This was just one of the many questions that stumped the police and Pamela's family. An investigation was opened, but in 2016, after years of dead ends, Pamela was declared legally dead. In the Dateline episode, Pamela's brother said his sister was "Just a lovely person, somebody that would go out of her way to help you." Who is Jose Rodriguez-Cruz? Jose Rodriguez-Cruz was Pamela's boyfriend at the time of her disappearance. According to Dateline, they had met on a dating website and had been together for five months when she went missing. Pamela and Jose shared similar government work backgrounds; he is a former military police officer who worked at a medical clinic. When Pamela's mother searched her home, Thelma noticed Jose had left messages on her answering machine asking where she was. Thelma also discovered that Jose wrote a message to Pamela and left it inside her home. Thelma later asked Derrick to contact Jose, and after doing so, Jose shared that he and Pamela had broken up and hadn't heard from her, Derrick recalled to Dateline. They then met in person, and Jose appeared upset over the news of Pamela's disappearance. But what her family didn't know was that Jose had a troubled past. Jose was previously married to Marta Rodriguez-Cruz, a nursing aid in her late 20s who went missing in May 1989 in Arlington, Va. Before she vanished, Marta had told police that Jose had physically and sexually assaulted her. That March, an Arlington County police officer witnessed Jose dragging her on a street, per The Washington Post. Jose was charged with abducting and assaulting her. As for a motive, he hinted toward jealousy. 'When asked by the investigator why he would commit such acts against his wife, Rodriguez-Cruz responded that 'if I can't have her, no one else will. She's mine,' ' he said, according to a statement obtained by The Washington Post. By the time she was due to testify against Jose in court, the mother-of-one never showed up, and the case was thrown out. Marta's roommate reported her missing one week later, Fox 5 DC reported. How did Pamela Butler die? Jose killed Pamela in her house on the night of Feb. 13, 2009. Per a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office, she and Jose had an argument in the basement of Pamela's home. During their discussion, Pamela pointed out Jose's job and financial status and mentioned that there were no signs he was trying to improve either. At one point during the fight, Jose punched Pamela in the face. She fell to the floor, and Jose then strangled her to death. He then put Pamela's body in a trash bag and switched off the house's motion detector lights. Jose removed her body through a first-floor window that was not covered by the security cameras. After placing her in his car, he decided on a location to bury her. Over the next two days, he returned to Pamela's home to remove items, including her phone, which he disposed of. Were Pamela Butler's remains ever found? No, Pamela's remains have never been recovered. As part of the plea agreement he took, Jose told investigators where they could find Pamela's body. According to NBC Washington, Jose said he buried her in the median between the southbound and northbound lanes on I-95 in Stafford County, Va. Due to the construction on the highway over the years, including the expansion of express lanes, the area with Pamela's body had been paved over, making her remains "not recoverable," per WUSA9. How are Pamela Butler and Marta Rodriguez's disappearances related? After Pamela was declared legally dead in 2016, her disappearance was reopened as a cold case by Metropolitan Police Department detective Mike Fulton. He would eventually uncover Jose's past with Marta, eventually linking it to Pamela's. Marta had gone missing in Virginia in 1989, and while her remains were found two years later, her identity wouldn't be confirmed until 2018 using DNA. Both women were discovered in the same area of the highway where Jose said he had buried Pamela's body. Where is Jose Rodriguez-Cruz now? In October 2017, Jose pleaded guilty to a second-degree murder charge for Pamela's death. He was sentenced to 12 years in a federal prison, followed by five years of probation, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office's press release. Three years later, in November 2020, Jose pleaded guilty to first-degree murder for killing Marta in 1989. He was sentenced to an additional 40 years in prison. 'I want to see him serve life for the crimes that he committed,' Pamela's brother, Derrick, told reporters at Jose's hearing, via WTOP. Derrick added that even if Jose gets out of prison at 80, "he's still a violent criminal, and it's not going to change.' Read the original article on People
Yahoo
16 minutes ago
- Yahoo
A Mail Carrier Was Caught on Camera Pepper-Spraying an Elderly Cat. When the Owner Confronted Him, He ‘Denied It'
The USPS employee swore at the cat multiple times before spraying it and leaving the scene, home security footage showsNEED TO KNOW A USPS mail carrier sprayed an elderly cat with what appeared to be pepper spray in California on July 28, and the incident was caught on camera After the owner confronted the mail carrier, he "denied" spraying the cat USPS is now investigating the incidentA mail carrier was caught on camera spraying an elderly cat with what appeared to be pepper spray — but he denied it. The carrier, a United States Postal Service (USPS) employee, was delivering mail in Rancho Cordova, Calif., on the evening of Monday, July 28, when Chris Commander's cat Xena was sitting outside of his home, as she often does, according to The Sacramento Bee. What the carrier did next shocked Commander, 35, to his core. Rather than pet the 15-year-old feline, as other postal carriers typically do, the man appeared to spray Xena with pepper spray — and the entire incident was caught on camera, with Commander watching live, according to the newspaper. The mail carrier backed away from the tortoiseshell cat, who was standing next to the pathway that leads up to the front door, and said, 'Get the f--- out of here,' the footage, obtained by The Sacramento Bee, shows. Then, despite no reaction from Xena, who was completely motionless, the carrier grabbed a spray bottle from his bag and proceeded to spray liquid at the cat. Xena then scurried across the pathway and away from the carrier, as he repeated, 'Get the f--- out of here,' and began to approach the door. He decided against it, however, instead leaving without dropping off the mail. (He left it on the hood of a car, Commander told The Sacramento Bee.) As the incident unfolded around 7 p.m. local time, Commander — an owner of two dogs and four cats — was sitting in his living room when he heard one of his dogs barking near his front door, he recalled to The Sacramento Bee. Curious, he decided to look at his Ring doorbell camera livestream, and proceeded to witness the mail carrier spray his oldest cat, seemingly unprovoked. The Rancho Cordova resident told the newspaper that he immediately got up to confront the USPS carrier, who was already in his vehicle. Despite evidence to the contrary, he denied spraying the cat. 'I asked him directly, 'Did you spray my cat?' He denied it. And then he said something about he's a cat lover himself,' Commander told The Sacramento Bee. Upon returning home, the proud pet owner found Xena covered in what he described to the newspaper as an oily, strong-smelling substance. He was worried that the spraying may have left the elderly cat with respiratory problems, particularly given her age, but she appeared unscathed and 'in good spirits,' he said. 'I didn't know I had to be worried about this,' Commander told The Sacramento Bee. 'I just can't understand how this even happened, to be honest.' Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. After his confrontation was met with denial, the concerned pet owner submitted a formal complaint to USPS. The institution is aware of the incident, which USPS spokesperson Meiko S. Patton said is currently under review in a statement obtained by The Sacramento Bee. 'The United States Postal Service holds its employees to high standards of conduct, and any actions that conflict with these values are taken seriously. We are currently reviewing this incident and will take appropriate action based on the results to ensure alignment with our commitment to integrity and professionalism," Patton said. While Xena is okay, her owner still wants answers. "I don't see why you'd spray a cat that just wanted to be pet," Commander told CBS News Sacramento. "It was just frustrating,' the owner added, 'and kind of sad to see that." Read the original article on People
Associated Press
18 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Senate confirms former Fox News host Pirro as top federal prosecutor for the nation's capital
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate has confirmed former Fox News host Jeanine Pirro as the top federal prosecutor for the nation's capital, filling the post after President Donald Trump withdrew his controversial first pick, conservative activist Ed Martin Jr. Pirro, a former county prosecutor and elected judge, was confirmed 50-45. Before becoming the acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia in May, she co-hosted the Fox News show 'The Five' on weekday evenings, where she frequently interviewed Trump. Trump yanked Martin's nomination after a key Republican senator said he could not support him due to Martin's outspoken support for rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Martin now serves as the Justice Department's pardon attorney. In 2021, voting technology company Smartmatic USA sued Fox News, Pirro and others for spreading false claims that the company helped 'steal' the 2020 presidential election from Trump. The company's libel suit, filed in a New York state court, sought $2.7 billion from the defendants. Last month, Republican members of the Senate Judiciary Committee voted unanimously to send Pirro's nomination to the Senate floor after Democrats walked out to protest Emil Bove's nomination to become a federal appeals court judge. Pirro, a 1975 graduate of Albany Law School, has significantly more courtroom experience than Martin, who had never served as a prosecutor or tried a case before taking office in January. She was elected as a judge in New York's Westchester County Court in 1990 before serving three terms as the county's elected district attorney. In the final minutes of his first term as president, Trump issued a pardon to Pirro's ex-husband, Albert Pirro, who was convicted in 2000 on conspiracy and tax evasion charges.
