Two Mexicans arrested for abusing minor in Royal Caribbean cruise ship sauna

Two Mexican nationals, Jose Prudencio Diaz, 36, and Ricardo Daniel Mondragon Leal, 37, were arrested Friday at the Port of Miami after being accused of sexually abusing a 14-year-old minor on board Royal Caribbean's Independence of the Seas cruise ship.

The incident occurred Thursday in the ship's sauna room, authorities said.

According to the arrest report, as detailed by NBC6, the victim reported to police that he was in the sauna when Diaz and Leal began masturbating in front of him. Subsequently, the suspects touched the minor and forced him to touch them.

The report indicates that Mondragon Leal forced the victim to perform a sexual act and abused him. In addition, Díaz faces an additional charge that he engaged in sexual intercourse without disclosing his HIV infection status.

Both men face multiple charges, including lewd and lascivious abuse against a minor between the ages of 12 and 16, as well as lewd and lascivious exhibition.

Following their arrest upon arrival at the Port of Miami, they were placed on immigration detainers, indicating that they could face additional proceedings related to their status in the United States.

For her part, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirsti Noem echoed the news and on her X account, noted that, "One of them has HIV. Both have ICE detainers on them. We WILL get these sickos out of our country.”

During court hearings on Saturday, both were denied bail. A prosecutor told the court: "The defendant, in this case, acting in concert with another defendant, they were both on a cruise. This shows that they tried to target a specific minor, and this could be done again."

The case has generated commotion, highlighting the safety risks aboard cruise ships.

For its part, the Miami-Dade Police, in charge of the investigation, arrested Diaz and Leal as soon as the ship docked in southern Florida.

So far, Royal Caribbean has not issued an official statement on the matter.

Regarding the assailants, Diaz is being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, while Mondragon Leal is being held at the Metropolis Metropolis Detention Center, both in Miami-Dade County, without bail and under immigration custody.