Mystery after Texas man, 48, died on Carnival cruise ship's 'Serenity deck' with no signs of obvious trauma
The Texas man who died on board the popular Carnival cruise ship on Wednesday has been named as 48-year-old Euvelester Villarreal Jr.Villarreal Jr had no obvious signs of trauma and his cause of death remains a mystery, the Galveston County Medical Examiner's Office told KHOU 11. The office added that they are waiting for investigators to return toxicology results before writing a full report or determining the cause of death. Villarreal Jr died on the 'Serenity Deck' of the Carnival Dream on Wednesday while it was traveling around the Western Caribbean after leaving from Galveston, Texas. Passengers onboard the vessel told KHOU11 that they woke up to the sound of sirens in the early hours of the morning on July 23. One anonymous passenger told the outlet that she had heard an announcement calling for medical assistance on the Serenity Deck of the ship. The FBI is probing the circumstances of the death, but they could not confirm if their investigation is a criminal matter. Passengers had also told the outlet that they saw federal agents board the ship while disembarking on Saturday. The Texas man who died on board the popular Carnival Dream cruise ship (pictured) on Wednesday has been named as 48-year-old Euvelester Villarreal Jr Passengers aboard the Carnival Dream, seen here docked in Key West, Florida, say they woke up to loud alarms calling for medical assistance last week Speculation about what unfolded onboard has also started circulating online, with one woman claiming the man was attacked.Amanda Meadows shared a video to her Facebook saying she was onboard the ship at the time, and woke up to the alarms and decided to investigate.She said she had tried to go to an upper deck to vape but was told she couldn't by staff.Meadows claims she then mentioned going to the casino, but again staff said she couldn't go there either, and told her to return to her room. 'I thought that was so strange, originally I thought somebody had slipped on the deck and fell and they needed some kind of assistance', she added. Meadows said she returned to her room and after leaving some time later, she claims a staff member approached her and told her somebody had been attacked. She added: 'They said someone was attacked on the ship and they lost their life because they won in the gambling place. 'I didn't think anything about it because it didn't register for some reason. It didn't click.'KHOU questioned Carnival Line about the rumors, but the operator shot them down on Saturday saying 'there is no investigation about a suspicious death'. A statement said: 'There is no investigation about a suspicious death on Carnival Dream and it’s disappointing to learn that any guests might be spreading rumors about something they know nothing about.' Amanda Meadows, seen here, said in a video to her Facebook that a staff member told her that a man had been attacked onboard In a statement, Carnival Line said they extended their sympathy to the family of the guest who diedOn Monday, after the FBI said they were probing the death, the operator said: 'It is standard practice for the FBI to review deaths that occur on cruise ships. 'This routine protocol ensures transparency. It does not automatically imply suspicious circumstances, and the facts of this matter do not suggest any such activity. 'We extend our heartfelt sympathy to our guest's family and loved ones in this difficult time.'A spokesperson for the FBI Houston office said: 'I can confirm FBI Houston is aware of an incident that occurred around July 23, 2025 on the Carnival Dream cruise ship. 'An FBI maritime liaison agent, based out of the Texas City resident agency, is coordinating with the U.S. Coast Guard, Customs and Border Protection, and the cruise line regarding this incident. 'Due to the ongoing natures of the investigation, I am not able to provide any additional details at this time.'
