Two Mexican nationals have been arrested on charges of sexually assaulting a a 14-year-old boy while they were on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship.
Ricardo Daniel Mondragon Leal, 37, and Jose Juan Prudencio Diaz, 36, were arrested Friday, the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office said, according to the Miami Herald.
The alleged assault on the Independence of the Seas took place Thursday.
The men were arrested Friday when the ship returned to Miami.
Mondragon faces charges of sexual battery of a minor; lewd and lascivious exhibition by an adult on a minor under 16; and lewd and lascivious molestation on a child aged 12 to 16.
Prudencio Diaz faces the same charges, as well as an additional charge of not informing another person in a sexual act of his HIV status.
The two men live in the same apartment building in Mexico City, according to news reports.
Both men have had holds for Immigration and Customs Enforcement placed on them.
“We take these allegations very seriously and immediately notified local law enforcement,” a Royal Caribbean Group representative said.
“As this is an ongoing investigation, we have nothing further to share at this time,” the representative said.
According to WPLG-TV, the incident took place in the ship’s sauna.
Police said Diaz exposed himself and forced the boy to touch him.
Leal forced the boy to perform a sex act, police said.
Diaz “invoked his right to counsel while his alleged partner in crime told authorities that the ‘sexual acts were consensual,” an affidavit in support of the charges said, according to the Daily Mail.
SICK, DISGUSTING FILTH. Good thing they weren’t detained in BOSTON, bc ICE detainer would be ignored & they’d be released !
“According to an arrest report, on Thursday, a 14-year-old victim told police he was on board the Royal Caribbean cruise line, Independence of the Seas,… pic.twitter.com/7N3qxvrYWx
— KK Berd 🇺🇸 (@keny_berd) March 25, 2025
Both suspects were denied bond.
“The defendant, in this case, acting in concert with another defendant, they were both on a cruise,” the Mail quoted an unnamed prosecutor as saying.
“This shows that they tried to target a specific minor, and this could be done again.”
Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. Advertise Today.
