The FBI is investigating a suspected homicide aboard the MSC Seascape, which docked at Galveston’s Cruise Terminal 16 on Monday morning after authorities ordered the ship back to port. Jason Watford, 48, of Tyler, Texas, was taken into federal custody in connection with the death of a woman, according to officials.
He was initially detained in a federal facility inside the cruise terminal before being transported to the Galveston County Jail at 3 p.m. Monday, where he is being held on a federal hold, according to officials. The Galveston County Medical Examiner confirmed the victim is a woman, but her identity has not been released pending notification of her family. The FBI has not disclosed the manner of death or the circumstances leading to the alleged homicide.
The suspect, Jason Watford, 48, of Tyler, Texas, was taken into federal custody by FBI agents assisted by Port of Galveston police officers.
The FBI’s Houston field office is leading the investigation, with its Texas City Resident Agency coordinating with the U.S. Coast Guard, the Port of Galveston Police Department, Customs and Border Protection, and MSC Cruises, according to a statement from the FBI. FBI Houston posted on X that an individual had been taken into custody in connection with the alleged homicide, stating, “The individual’s identity is being withheld pending notification of the victim’s family. This remains an ongoing investigation and no additional information is available for release at this time.”
The MSC Seascape returned to Galveston’s Cruise Terminal 16 early Monday morning, one day after departing Sunday on a scheduled seven-day Western Caribbean voyage. MSC Cruises said authorities directed the ship to return to port after a guest incident, and the cruise line is cooperating fully with the investigation. The ship departed Galveston again at roughly noon Monday and resumed its planned itinerary, according to the cruise line. In an updated statement, MSC said, “The ship has left the port and resumed its planned itinerary. As this is an active investigation, we cannot provide more details. Our thoughts are with the guest’s family and friends at this difficult time.”
The ship’s itinerary includes scheduled stops in Costa Maya, Roatan, and Cozumel. The port visit to Costa Maya was not scheduled until Wednesday, Nov. 11, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., which will allow the ship to make up time from the unexpected delay, according to Cruise Hive’s ship tracker. The tracker shows the MSC Seascape in the Gulf of America en route to Costa Maya, moving at 20 knots, with an estimated time of arrival listed at 2 p.m.
Unconfirmed reports from guests circulated on social media following the incident. Posts on platforms including Facebook and Reddit alleged that security officers were stationed outside a cabin on the ship’s 10th deck and that two passengers were led off the vessel in handcuffs. Some accounts suggested a fight or domestic dispute in a stateroom on Deck 10 turned violent, leading to one individual’s death. These reports have not been verified by authorities, who have released no details about the incident.
Monday marked the one-year anniversary of the MSC Seascape’s arrival in Galveston, which began departing from the port Nov. 9, 2025, after originally calling Miami its homeport, according to records. The ship had been scheduled to visit Costa Maya, Roatan, and Cozumel on its seven-day Western Caribbean cruise. Authorities have not announced any charges against Watford, and the investigation remains ongoing.
