A woman was found dead aboard the MSC Seascape cruise ship hours after it left Texas for the Caribbean, and the FBI is investigating the death as a suspected homicide. A 48-year-old passenger was taken into custody after the ship turned back to the port of Galveston.

The ship had sailed from Galveston on Sunday afternoon, 8 November, at around 4pm, beginning a seven-night Western Caribbean cruise with calls at Costa Maya in Mexico, Roatan in Honduras and Cozumel in Mexico. It changed course at around 11pm the same evening, and passengers woke on Monday morning to find the vessel back in Galveston.

Passenger led off ship in handcuffs

Video filmed by passengers showed Jason Leon Watford, 48, from Tyler, Texas, being escorted down a gangway in handcuffs by law enforcement officers. He was then taken to Galveston County Jail, where jail records show he was booked on an FBI hold in connection with an on-view murder investigation.

FBI Houston confirmed on Monday that it was responding to a suspected homicide aboard the ship. In a statement, the bureau said an FBI Maritime Liaison Agent based at its Texas City office was coordinating the investigation with the US Coast Guard, the Port of Galveston Police Department, US Customs and Border Protection, and MSC Cruises. An FBI spokesperson told local station KHOU that, as the investigation was ongoing, no additional details would be provided.

Victim not yet identified

The Galveston County Medical Examiner's Office confirmed to ABC News that the person who died was a woman, but her identity has not been released. An autopsy was scheduled for Tuesday, 10 November, to help establish how she died. It is not clear when the death happened, or whether the victim knew Watford.

As of Monday night, federal authorities had not publicly announced any formal charges against Watford, and the investigation remained active. The FBI initially withheld the suspect's identity while officials worked to notify the victim's family.

Jail records seen by CBS19 show that Watford was arrested in September 2024 on suspicion of assaulting a family member and was sentenced to 15 months of probation in November 2024. It is not clear whether that relative was the woman found dead on the ship.

Ship resumed its cruise

After Watford was removed, the MSC Seascape departed Galveston again to continue its cruise. The 19-deck ship can carry up to 5,877 passengers and is expected to return to Galveston on 15 November at around 6.30am.

The FBI investigates deaths and violent crimes at sea, including incidents aboard cruise ships sailing from American ports. The bureau has said it will provide no further details while its investigation continues.