FBI investigates Carnival cruise ship death in maritime mystery that can be ‘very complex,’ former agent says

The FBI is investigating the decease of a rider aboard the Carnival Horizon, successful what tin beryllium a "very complex" benignant of case, erstwhile FBI peculiar cause Nicole Parker told Fox News Digital.

Parker said that the Bureau typically assumes jurisdiction erstwhile imaginable crimes hap aboard cruise ships successful planetary waters.

"The FBI has jurisdiction to grip cases erstwhile a transgression occurs successful planetary waters," Parker said. "It’s precise analyzable — it falls nether what’s called peculiar maritime jurisdiction laws that mandate this. For example, if a cruise departs from Miami, that gives FBI Miami jurisdiction if it’s returning successful oregon retired of a U.S. cruise port. And if the alleged transgression occurred successful planetary waters, past that’s the FBI’s responsibility."

Carnival Cruise Line confirmed to Fox News Digital connected Monday that it is cooperating with national investigators pursuing the passenger’s decease during the ship’s astir caller voyage. The vessel returned to Miami arsenic scheduled Saturday morning, Carnival said.

FBI INVESTIGATING PASSENGER DEATH ABOARD CARNIVAL CRUISE SHIP AFTER RETURN TO MIAMI

The Carnival Horizon cruise vessel docked astatine the cruise terminal astatine PortMiami successful Miami, Florida, US, connected Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023. (Eva Marie Uzcategui/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

"The decease of a impermanent traveling connected the Carnival Horizon voyage that returned connected Saturday morning, Nov. 8, is being investigated by the FBI," the institution said successful a statement. "Since this is an ongoing substance nether the jurisdiction of instrumentality enforcement, it is up to the FBI’s Miami nationalist affairs bureau to supply further details. Our absorption is connected supporting the household of our guest."

The rider has not been publically identified, and authorities person not released immoderate accusation astir the circumstances surrounding the death.

An FBI spokesperson confirmed agents responded erstwhile the vessel docked implicit the play and that the probe remains ongoing.

80-YEAR-OLD AUSTRALIAN WOMAN DIES ON ISLAND AFTER CRUISE SHIP LEAVES WITHOUT HER

Federal investigators are probing a decease connected Carnival Horizon's caller voyage, arsenic the cruise enactment cooperates with the FBI's ongoing maritime investigation. (Getty Images)

"I tin corroborate that the FBI has responded to the scene," the spokesperson told Fox News Digital. "Because this is an ongoing matter, nary further accusation is disposable astatine this time."

The FBI did not accidental what led to the probe oregon whether foul play is suspected.

Parker, who spent years investigating maritime cases, said specified probes often necessitate analyzable coordination betwixt agencies and cruise enactment officials.

A rider died connected Carnival Cruise Line's Horizon ship. (Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

"Basically, Obama signed this instrumentality and if determination are definite crimes oregon allegations that hap connected cruise ships, past the FBI has jurisdiction to enactment them," Parker added.

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"I really sermon this successful my publication — crimes connected the precocious seas were portion of my responsibilities astatine the Bureau," she said. "It was a batch of work. I was the lone 1 doing it, but those cases covered aggregate things — astir apt 8 oregon 9 antithetic categories. The FBI has the archetypal close of refusal for those incidents, truthful the cruise enactment information officers would telephone maine astatine each hours of the night, and I’d person to perceive and find whether we’d instrumentality the case."

Fox News Digital's Alex Koch contributed to this report.

Stepheny Price covers crime, including missing persons, homicides and migrant crime. Send communicative tips to [email protected].