San Juan Justice: FBI Tackles Cruise Ship Lawlessness.

The arrest of Kenneth DiGiorgio by the FBI’s San Juan Field Office on April 3, 2025, isn’t just another blip on the crime radar. It’s a thunderclap of accountability echoing across the waves. Charged with assault under federal law for an incident aboard a cruise ship bound for Puerto Rico, DiGiorgio’s case proves one thing loud and clear: break the law at sea, and the long arm of American justice will haul you back to shore. Acting Special Agent in Charge Devin Kowalski didn’t mince words, declaring that violent crimes on cruise ships fall squarely under federal jurisdiction, and the FBI isn’t playing games.

This isn’t some feel-good story about a vacation gone wrong. It’s a stark reminder that lawlessness doesn’t get a free pass just because you’re sipping cocktails on a floating resort. With cruise ships increasingly resembling floating cities, complete with their own dark underbellies of crime, the FBI’s swift action here signals a broader truth: conservatives have long championed law and order, and this arrest proves that principle holds firm, even 12 nautical miles out.

Title 18 of the U.S. Code isn’t a suggestion; it’s the backbone of federal authority over crimes like DiGiorgio’s. When that cruise ship sailed into San Juan, it wasn’t just docking for piña coladas, it was entering the FBI’s turf. The Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act of 2010, a hard-won legislative victory, mandates that serious crimes, from assault to sexual violence, get reported straight to the feds. This isn’t about coddling passengers; it’s about ensuring predators don’t exploit the high seas as a lawless playground. The data backs it up: Carnival Cruise Line alone reported 18 physical assaults causing serious injury in 2024, a number tied to booze-fueled chaos that demands a firm response.

Contrast that with the hand-wringing from some quarters about overreach. Critics of federal jurisdiction in places like Puerto Rico love to cry ‘colonialism’ whenever the U.S. Attorney’s Office steps in. They’d rather see local courts, stretched thin and underfunded, fumble these cases. But here’s the reality: federal prosecutors, all 40 of them in Puerto Rico, bring the resources and resolve to tackle crime that local systems can’t touch. DiGiorgio’s arrest isn’t an overstep; it’s a lifeline for justice in a territory too often left adrift.

Let’s talk numbers that hit like a rogue wave. Department of Transportation stats from 2024 show Carnival Cruise Line clocking 39 sexual assaults, dwarfing Royal Caribbean’s 28, despite carrying fewer passengers. Physical assaults? Carnival’s 18 serious cases last year alone scream a pattern. Excessive alcohol flows like water on these ships, and security gaps let violence fester. Back in 2023, the industry racked up 131 sex crimes, a figure that’s dropped slightly but still exposes a festering problem. These aren’t isolated incidents; they’re a trend begging for tougher enforcement.

Some argue cruise lines ought to police themselves, that federal intervention spooks tourists and kills jobs. Nonsense. Self-regulation has failed, miserably. The 2010 Act was a start, but without the FBI’s boots on the ground, or deck in this case, companies like Carnival would keep sweeping this filth under the rug. Conservatives know that safety isn’t negotiable; it’s the bedrock of freedom. Letting cruise ships turn into floating crime scenes isn’t liberty, it’s lunacy.

Puerto Rico’s role in this saga isn’t just geographic. The U.S. Attorney’s Office there isn’t some colonial puppet; it’s a powerhouse prosecuting everything from drug lords to shipboard thugs like DiGiorgio. Since Congress flexed its Territorial Clause muscle in 1952, federal law has been the island’s shield against chaos. Sure, detractors grumble about autonomy, but when a cruise ship docks with a violent offender onboard, who’s got the firepower to act? Not San Juan’s overburdened local courts, that’s for damn sure.

This case also shines a light on the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center. While DiGiorgio’s assault wasn’t cyber, the portal’s success since 2000, logging millions of tips, shows how everyday Americans fuel federal justice. Kowalski’s call for tips on this case isn’t a plea; it’s a command. Citizens partnering with law enforcement? That’s the conservative vision of community strength in action.

DiGiorgio’s arrest isn’t the endgame; it’s the opening salvo. The FBI’s message rings clear: no corner of U.S. jurisdiction, from territorial waters to the high seas, is a safe haven for lawbreakers. This isn’t about ruining your cruise; it’s about protecting the millions who sail expecting safety, not savagery. Historical precedent, from maritime law to the 2010 Act, backs this up. Conservatives have always stood for accountability, and here’s proof it’s not just talk.

So, next time you hear someone whine about federal ‘intrusion’ or push for softer oversight, point them to San Juan. One arrest won’t erase cruise ship crime, but it’s a brick in the wall of order. The left might dream of a world where rules bend for every sob story; we know better. Law endures, justice prevails, and the FBI’s got the cuffs to prove it.