Crew / Passenger Crimes: South African Man Arrested for Stabbing Rampage on Alaska Cruise

In May 2026, Ntando Sogoni, a 35-year-old South African crew member employed by Norwegian Cruise Lines, was arrested and detained following a violent stabbing incident aboard a cruise ship operating in Alaska waters. The attack, carried out with scissors, resulted in injuries to multiple passengers and crew members and has prompted a comprehensive review of security and crew-screening protocols across the cruise industry.

Sogoni was transferred to the Lemon Creek Correctional Facility in Juneau, Alaska, and appeared before Magistrate Judge Matthew M. Scoble on 9 May 2026. He was remanded in custody pending a further hearing, with the FBI's Anchorage Field Office and the Coast Guard Investigative Service leading the investigation.

The incident began when Sogoni was observed by fellow crew members attempting to deploy a lifeboat. Security personnel intervened and escorted him to the ship's medical center for assessment. Inside an examination room, Sogoni allegedly attacked a security guard and a male nurse. He then entered an adjacent medical examination room where a US woman was undergoing treatment and stabbed her multiple times with scissors, inflicting wounds to her arm, hand, and face. Two additional security guards who attempted to restrain him were also stabbed—one in the head and the other in the back and shoulders.

Vessel

• Operator: Norwegian Cruise Lines
• Location of incident: Alaska waters
• Incident date: May 2026 (early month)

Crew member

• Name: Ntando Sogoni
• Age: 35 years old
• Nationality: South African
• Employment status: Recently employed by Norwegian Cruise Lines

Fatalities

• None reported.

Injuries

• 1 US female passenger: multiple stab wounds to arm, hand, and face
• 1 security guard: stab wound to the head
• 1 security guard: stab wounds to back and shoulders
• 1 security guard: stabbed during initial altercation in medical examination room
• 1 male nurse: stabbed during initial altercation in medical examination room

Rescued

• All passengers and crew remained aboard the vessel; incident was contained by ship security.

Sogoni was detained in the ship's brig before being transferred to the Lemon Creek Correctional Facility in Juneau. He made his initial court appearance on 9 May 2026, before Magistrate Judge Matthew M. Scoble, who ordered his detention pending a further hearing scheduled for 23 May 2026. Sogoni is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon within maritime and territorial jurisdiction. If convicted on each count, he faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. The final sentence will be determined by a federal district court judge, taking into account the US Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. His remand was based on the severity of the charges, his lack of ties to the United States, and his status as a flight risk.

The incident is under investigation by the FBI's Anchorage Field Office and Juneau Resident Agency, in conjunction with the Coast Guard Investigative Service. The case has prompted a comprehensive reevaluation of safety and security measures aboard cruise ships, with particular focus on the screening, vetting, and ongoing monitoring of crew members employed in maritime passenger operations.

• FBI Anchorage Field Office: For incident-related inquiries
• Coast Guard Investigative Service: Maritime safety and security matters
• Norwegian Cruise Lines Customer Service: For passenger assistance and support