Man Arrested for 'Suspected Homicide' on Cruise as Ship Returns to Port Following Alleged Crime on Fellow Passenger
Jason Watford was taken into custody on 'suspected homicide' charges.
Nov. 10 2026, Published 7:10 p.m. ET
A man was arrested in connection with a cruise ship "suspected homicide" in a Texas port on Monday, November 9, RadarOnline.com can report.
Jason Watford, 48, was taken into custody hours after the MSC Seascape docked in Galveston. The Galveston County Sheriff's Office booked him into the county jail and placed him on federal hold.
Alleged Crime Details
The cruise ship docked in Port of Galveston shortly after leaving.
According to a report, the medical examiner said the alleged victim is a woman, but no further identifiable information was released. An affidavit in support of a criminal complaint for murder was filed Monday.
While delivering towels to the room, a housekeeper called other employees over after she found "what she believed to be blood on the subject's hands and pants as well as a motionless female lying face down on the floor."
Allegedly, in an interview with the FBI, Watford claimed to have been arguing with the victim at a ship restaurant before returning to their room, with the woman following shortly afterwards.
The verbal altercation then escalated, with Watford apparently striking the victim multiple times. Further, he allegedly began choking her with two hands.
"Subject stated that he applied pressure to Victim 1's neck for approximately four to five minutes and released his hold only after becoming exhausted. Subject stated that, after releasing his grip, Victim 1 lay motionless on the floor for approximately 10 minutes before MSC Housekeeper A.D. knocked on his door," the affidavit said.
Passengers Speak Out
MSC Cruises is keeping details under wraps admits the investigation, telling passengers there was a medical emergency.
A spokesperson for MSC Cruises said they were instructed to return to the Port of Galveston after reporting a guest incident to authorities. They are "cooperating fully with the investigation and providing support to those impacted."
Many passengers told ABC 13 KTRK that they didn't know something was wrong until they woke up the next morning back at the port, when they were alerted there was a medical emergency. Travel agent De'Andre Anderson told them this was a new experience for him, despite having set sail six times just this year.
"I've had ships turn around and not come all the way back to port, but they came close so they can medically evacuate that ship," Anderson said. "On this particular sail, we came back to Galveston, and I was a little bit worried for the people involved."
The ship is on a seven-day western Caribbean route. The cruise plans to continue with all its stops.
Jason Watford Was Arrested in 2024
Watford has a previous rap sheet.
Court records from Smith County, Texas, indicate Watford was previously arrested in August 2024 for family member assault. He had been sentenced to 15 months of probation with 30 hours of community service.
The FBI is working with the U.S. Coast Guard, the Port of Galveston Police Department, Customs and Border Protection, and the cruise line for the investigation, "as is customary with crimes aboard a cruise ship."
Further Details Remain Undisclosed
Never Miss an
Daily updates from the heart of Hollywood, right to your inbox
By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you’re agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
Watford was arrested under federal hold in accordance with federal maritime jurisdiction.
The FBI's Houston office confirmed the arrest in a Facebook post, but did not name the suspect as they waited for the victim's family to be notified. The nature of Watford's new charges has yet to be disclosed. The investigation remains open.
An autopsy is expected to be conducted on Tuesday, November 10.
