Sex offender in restricted ports

[Toofarfromthesea]

13 minutes ago, clo said:

I think @Husky61 reply gave a ton of great info.

 

Yes he did.  None of it relevant to the point I was making, though, and still boiling down to breaking another country's laws in the hope it won't be found out.  His info had to do with likelihood of being found out.  

[clo]

9 minutes ago, Toofarfromthesea said:

 

Yes he did.  None of it relevant to the point I was making, though, and still boiling down to breaking another country's laws in the hope it won't be found out.  His info had to do with likelihood of being found out.  

Well, gosh, you don't ever break any laws?  How admirable.

[ed01106]

5 minutes ago, clo said:

Well, gosh, you don't ever break any laws?  How admirable.

 

There is a risk/reward issue here.  

 

Have I ever broke a law?  Yes.

 

Have I ever broke a law, where the worse case situation was landing in a Mexican jail and being a political pawn?  “When America sends us people they aren’t sending us their  best and brightest, they are sending us their registered sex offenders”.  Nope, wouldn’t risk it.

 

Risk of getting caught—very low.  Possibility of very serious ramifications if caught —-astonishingly high.

[clo]

1 minute ago, ed01106 said:

 

There is a risk/reward issue here.  

 

Have I ever broke a law?  Yes.

 

Have I ever broke a law, where the worse case situation was landing in a Mexican jail and being a political pawn?  “When America sends us people they aren’t sending us their  best and brightest, they are sending us their registered sex offenders”.  Nope, wouldn’t risk it.

 

Risk of getting caught—very low.  Possibility of very serious ramifications if caught —-astonishingly high.

If the US govt. doesn't notify other countries and the cruise lines don't, then, yes, risk is low, probably really really low.  I'd likely go on the cruise but not go ashore in Mexico.  If there were some kind of incident where the police got involved then I'd say the risk then would increase.

[broberts]

20 hours ago, leaveitallbehind said:

 

I don't understand your confusion or question.  If a country denies entry for someone for legal or criminal issues, then he is denied entry.  And there is no documentation from his residence country that will override the other countries laws or regulations.  He cannot enter that country - period.  What "documentation" do you think would negate that situation?

 

In the case of a pardon, might the destination country accept that?

 

Canada for example has a process by which someone convicted of an offence elsewhere may obtain permission to enter, subject to the approval of the border official processing the entry. Presumably other countries have similar mechanisms.

[leaveitallbehind]

38 minutes ago, broberts said:

 

In the case of a pardon, might the destination country accept that?

 

Canada for example has a process by which someone convicted of an offence elsewhere may obtain permission to enter, subject to the approval of the border official processing the entry. Presumably other countries have similar mechanisms.

 

I have no idea as that likely would be up to the officials of the country of entry in question.  But if it were me I would have an attorney contact them with confirmation of my pardon and discuss my intent to travel there to obtain a disposition.

 

I would have to think each case and each country would be a separate consideration and likely not something to be answered with any certainty on this forum.  As a disclaimer I will state for the record that I am not an attorney, nor have I played one on TV, and I did not sleep a a Holiday Inn Express last night......

Edited July 1, 2019 by leaveitallbehind

[Husky61]

1 hour ago, Toofarfromthesea said:

 

Yes he did.  None of it relevant to the point I was making, though, and still boiling down to breaking another country's laws in the hope it won't be found out.  His info had to do with likelihood of being found out.  

The info I posted was to enlighten those who "speculate"  about sex offenders registering and informing them how the law actually works in at least two states. And how the law applies to cruising or traveling to other countries.  And since you mentioned it, yes, the likelihood of being discovered is virtually non-existent in foreign countries for any offense except Canada.

[clo]

56 minutes ago, Husky61 said:

The info I posted was to enlighten those who "speculate"  about sex offenders registering and informing them how the law actually works in at least two states. And how the law applies to cruising or traveling to other countries.  And since you mentioned it, yes, the likelihood of being discovered is virtually non-existent in foreign countries for any offense except Canada.

It seems some here have a horse in this race 😞  Some kind of bias perhaps.  I thought your info was terrific.  Thanks.

[TruckerDave]

On 6/30/2019 at 2:24 PM, tony_117 said:

I know that both Royal and Carnival will check the National Sex Offender Registry.  Disney, Princess, and Norwegian do not have any restrictions at this time. 

I would probably consider taking the NCL cruise around Hawaii than.  No worries about if  you can/cannot leave the ship as there are no foreign countries involved. 

 

(p.s. if this suggestion has already been made, I apologize, as I skipped passed most the posts that contain the usual arguing on any topic that involves legal issues.)

[Toofarfromthesea]

On 7/1/2019 at 2:51 PM, Husky61 said:

The info I posted was to enlighten those who "speculate"  about sex offenders registering and informing them how the law actually works in at least two states. And how the law applies to cruising or traveling to other countries.  And since you mentioned it, yes, the likelihood of being discovered is virtually non-existent in foreign countries for any offense except Canada.

 

I had no problem with your info at all. 

[ed01106]

For everyone saying Mexico won’t have any way of knowing.  

 

https://smart.gov/international_travel.htm

 

As I read that website the OP is required to notify the government of his travel plans (I am sure there is serious punishment for failing to do so, but didn’t search hard enough to find out if felony or misdemeanor, I am sure his passport is flagged and if he leaves the country without telling anyone in advance, his return home won’t be pleasant) and there is a process to let foreign governments know of the visit in advance (not just Canada)

 

I think the best advice in this thread is contact the Mexican embassy, tell them you would like to visit, tell them the details of the crime and follow their process.

 

 

[hallux]

34 minutes ago, ed01106 said:

As I read that website the OP is required to notify the government of his travel plans

Yup, the OP even mentions such in post #7 (and I pointed it out later in the thread when people kept saying Mexico may not even know, or asking how Mexico would even know).

 

I do agree with some that unless the OP tells the cruise line they may still be let on the ship but then have problems once they arrive in a Mexican port.  While the ship IS is Mexican waters, it's possible the OP may just be asked to remain on board and have their room key flagged for denial of getting off the ship.

[Aquahound]

For what its worth, I believe the US only shares NCIC with Canada.  While Mexico might see the manifest, they most likely wouldn't have any idea of this sort of background.

[hallux]

18 minutes ago, Aquahound said:

For what its worth, I believe the US only shares NCIC with Canada.  While Mexico might see the manifest, they most likely wouldn't have any idea of this sort of background.

Did you read the rest of the thread?  Several times now it's been mentioned.  The OP notifies the authorities in the US as they are obligated to do, the US authorities then notify those of the countries to which that person is traveling.  No access to NCIC is needed - THEY GET A LETTER IN THE MAIL!

[Aquahound]

23 minutes ago, hallux said:

Did you read the rest of the thread?  Several times now it's been mentioned.  The OP notifies the authorities in the US as they are obligated to do, the US authorities then notify those of the countries to which that person is traveling.  No access to NCIC is needed - THEY GET A LETTER IN THE MAIL!

 

Huh?  Who gets a letter in the mail?  Mexico?  And who said the US actually notifies other countries?  That info is not correct.

 

Edited July 3, 2019 by Aquahound

[ed01106]

9 minutes ago, Aquahound said:

 

Huh?  Who gets a letter in the mail?  Mexico?  And who said the US actually notifies other countries?  That info is not correct.

 

These folks say they notify.  

 

https://smart.gov/international_travel.htm

 

Don’t expressly say mail, could be email, fax, phone call, other electronic notification.

 

 

[hallux]

17 minutes ago, Aquahound said:

That info is not correct.

You have direct experience that indicates otherwise?  I don't have experience either way, but the website linked by the other poster indicates notification is made.  If I was the OP I wouldn't want to plan my vacation based on someone online questioning if the notification is actually made.

[Aquahound]

10 minutes ago, hallux said:

You have direct experience that indicates otherwise? 

 

Yes.  I've yet to see this sort of info transmitted on cruise passengers.  In fact, I've yet to see it transmitted to any country who doesn't require a Visa.  

[clo]

23 minutes ago, Aquahound said:

 

Yes.  I've yet to see this sort of info transmitted on cruise passengers.  In fact, I've yet to see it transmitted to any country who doesn't require a Visa.  

Ah, so you work in the industry.  

[Aquahound]

5 minutes ago, clo said:

Ah, so you work in the industry.  

 

Yes. 😊

[CPT Trips]

4 hours ago, Aquahound said:

For what its worth, I believe the US only shares NCIC with Canada.  While Mexico might see the manifest, they most likely wouldn't have any idea of this sort of background.

 

Would criminal convictions and/or registration as a sex offender show up in a Lexis Nexis search?

Edited July 3, 2019 by CPT Trips

[Aquahound]

8 hours ago, CPT Trips said:

 

Would criminal convictions and/or registration as a sex offender show up in a Lexis Nexis search?

 

Most of the time, yes.  Lexis Nexis can be a little inaccurate at times though.

 

When it comes to sex offenders, the info can be found on the open internet.  The US is the only country that makes the registry public.  

[ed01106]

1 hour ago, Aquahound said:

 

Most of the time, yes.  Lexis Nexis can be a little inaccurate at times though.

 

When it comes to sex offenders, the info can be found on the open internet.  The US is the only country that makes the registry public.  

So if Mexico (or any other country) wanted to, they could down the list from 50 state webpages and simply match the list against passports, without the NCIC or https://smart.gov/international_travel.htm

[anankae]

On 7/1/2019 at 10:08 AM, JennyB1977 said:

@tony_117 Please check with the Mexican Embassy.  (202) 728-1600 e-mail: mexembusa@sre.gob.mx

 

They will give you the ultimate yes you can enter, no you can't enter but can stay onboard, or you may not enter Mexican waters (which would mean, pick another cruise).

Oh absolutely do not do this. You want to fly under the radar. If they find out about you and document you, you'll never be allowed into Mexico.

 

The thing about cruise ship visits is you're there less than a day. There and gone before they find out anything (usually). Another option would be to just stay on the ship while at port.

[anankae]

So I'm seeing a lot of people who don't know anything about this or have had any experience with this making conjecture. I wish people who don't know about a topic would refrain from giving opinion. But whatever.

 

Royal does not do background checks. These cost money and take time. What they do is to check the sex offense registry which is free and easily accessible. They will contact the person and talk to them and make a decision to allow them to cruise or not. If they conclude you won't be a threat on their ships based on what the offense was, how long ago it was they may allow you to cruise given certain conditions like you're not allowed to visit any of the children's areas. Which is kind of stupid given that there are offenses that'll get one on the registry that have nothing to do with sex, that have nothing to do with children, some offenses don't even have a victim. But hey they're letting you cruise. To my knowledge they do not screen any other criminal convictions, like murder.

 

Now another problem is a few years ago before Obama left office, he signed into law this deal to set up an "international" registry where the US agrees to swap sex offender info with other countries and vice versa. This was allegedly to curb human trafficking but only serves to inconvenience sex offenders even more than they already are.

 

So now a couple weeks before travel you need to go to your local police station and "ask" them to permit you to leave the country which means you have to submit some documentation, fill out a form. The police submit this information to the US Marshals  who will forward it to the countries you'll be visiting. This is more of a problem if you're planning on flying in and staying, less if you're cruising. Foreign countries can and will refuse entry and turn travelers back at the airport. I have recently read about someone being refused to disembark a ship at a port, Mexican port IIRC. Like I said, you want to fly under the radar.

 

If you manage to cruise uneventfully and visit your ports, when you get back be aware you'll get pulled aside by customs and screened. This can vary - you might get separated out early in the morning on the ship and be escorted directly down to customs/immigration/border patrol or you more likely will be allowed to disembark normally and get pulled aside when you talk to the first agent. They will question you, they might go through your luggage. Always be polite and cooperative with these people.

 

Another thing customs will grab anyone they think need screening. So don't leave the country if you're on probation or parole, if you've got a warrant out for your arrest, common sense stuff. They'll also screen you if you've been a victim of identity theft to make sure it's actually you.

 

Be relaxed, don't be nervous. While on vacation, don't do anything even remotely incriminating. I would recommend leaving your camera, your phone, your laptop at home. I assume you'll be travelling with someone, use their phone, etc. (well hell don't travel alone, a partner is good, a group is better)

 

My last suggestion would be to look up deregistration in the state you live in, see if you qualify for it and go through the process. Having to submit your international travel plans to the US Marshals only applies if you're registered. Deregistering won't remove the information on your passport or let you visit countries like Canada (the Canadians *do* run background checks). Oh, and don't visit other states and let them find out about you and put you on their registries. Especially Florida, once of the worst states for sex offenders laws and where RC happens to be.

 

One more last thought. If you have an attorney and you're on good terms with them and they're up to speed with whats going on with sex offender stuff, talk to them about it. See if they have any insight. The  gang rape incident that happened on Oasis is trending in the news, this will probably cause Royal to ramp up their screening process for the meantime.

 

Edited August 1, 2019 by anankae