ICE detains captain of boat that capsized in NYC harbor, killing mother and infant
ICE Takes Custody of Captain Charged in Fatal New York Harbor Boat Capsize
Qwenews.com – US Immigration and Customs Enforcement has taken into custody the man accused of piloting a vessel that overturned in New York Harbor last month, claiming the lives of a young mother and her infant daughter. Manuel Ernesto Hernandez-Umana, 46, was picked up by ICE's Enforcement and Removal Operations division after a Coast Guard Investigative Service probe confirmed he had been living in the country without legal authorization.
"After an investigation by the Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS) confirmed Hernandez-Umana's unlawful presence in the United States, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) arrested him," the Department of Homeland Security stated Wednesday.
The Incident
The capsizing occurred Saturday night near the Statue of Liberty, when a Yamaha AR210 carrying 14 passengers flipped in open water between the monument and the Brooklyn shoreline. Twelve occupants were pulled from the harbor by a rush of emergency craft, but two were recovered in critical condition and later pronounced dead at a hospital.
The victims were Sara Sanchez, 27, and her 5-month-old daughter Antonella Garcia, both residents of Queens. The baby's father, Andres Garcia, survived the disaster, according to a law enforcement official briefed on the investigation. The couple's 6-year-old son had been left with a sitter that evening, a coworker of Garcia's confirmed.
A law enforcement official told CNN the boat ride had been organized as part of a birthday celebration.
Charges and Court Proceedings
Hernandez-Umana was arrested on August 9 and charged in the Southern District of New York. Prosecutors allege he was operating the vessel without proper licenses and that it was over capacity at the time of the accident. He faces two federal counts of misconduct and neglect of a ship officer resulting in death.
The New York Police Department additionally brought 13 counts of reckless endangerment under state law. At an initial federal court appearance on August 10, the captain did not enter a plea. He was released that same day on a $50,000 personal recognizance bond carrying conditions that bar him from operating any boats or vessels.
He now remains in ICE custody while awaiting trial. DHS indicated he will face removal proceedings once his criminal case concludes and any sentence is imposed.
What Prosecutors Alleged
According to the federal complaint, Hernandez-Umana steered the boat into a swell and then accelerated the throttle in an attempt to power through it. The swell swamped the bow, and the vessel capsized immediately. Prosecutors also noted that no infant life vests were aboard.
Authorities had earlier said they were probing whether the captain had been running an unlicensed charter lacking required credentials and safety gear. Federal regulations generally impose stricter credentialing and inspection standards on boats carrying more than six paying passengers.
Background and Official Response
DHS said Hernandez-Umana, a national of El Salvador, told authorities he crossed into the United States illegally through Texas in 2007 while falsely representing himself as a US citizen. CNN reached out to his attorney for comment.
The US Coast Guard, working alongside the CGIS and NYPD, continued investigating the cause of the capsizing.
"Illegal charter operations gamble with human life, and in this case, the alleged conduct led to an unthinkable tragedy," said CGIS Assistant Director Josh Packer. "Working with our federal, state, and local partners, we will continue to investigate those who ignore passenger vessel safety laws and put the public in danger."
CNN's Taso Stefanidis contributed to this report.
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