USCG Veteran and US Citizen Detained by CBP on Carnival Cruise
Jan 6, 2026·Location: Miami, FL

Joey Martinez, a U.S. Coast Guard veteran and U.S. citizen, was mistakenly detained by CBP officers aboard a Carnival Cruise Lines ship in Miami after being identified by name match with someone else who had outstanding warrants. Despite only his name matching and his other identifying information not aligning with the warrant, Martinez was forcefully removed from his stateroom, handcuffed, and held in an immigration cell until he could verify his identity with official documents. He was eventually released without charges, compensation, or an apology, and Carnival Cruise Lines did not inform him of the name issue before the ship's arrival despite allegedly being aware of it.
Sources
- thenerdstash.com
- CBP Agents Admit to Wrongfully Detaining U.S. Veteran on Miami Cruise
miaminewtimes.com·Jan 16, 2026·archived copy
- eu.argusleader.com
- Veteran says he was seized by immigration agents on cruise in case of mistaken identity
taskandpurpose.com·Jan 9, 2026·archived copy
- Valley veteran says he was forcibly removed from cruise ship and wrongfully detained
abc15.com·Jan 7, 2026·archived copy
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