The captain of a boat that capsized in New York Harbor, killing a mother and her infant, is an illegal immigrant who was just captured by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
ICE arrested Manuel Ernesto Hernandez-Umana, 46, who hails from El Salvador, after local authorities released him on August 10 on a $50,000 personal recognizance bond, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said in a statement Wednesday. Now, the Trump administration is moving to deport him.
“Once he faces justice for his crimes, we will make sure that he is swiftly removed from our country,” Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said in a statement.
Hernandez-Umana claimed he entered the U.S. illegally through Texas in 2007, lying to a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer and falsely claiming to be a U.S. citizen to enter, according to DHS.
The illegal immigrant faces two counts of misconduct and neglect of a ship officer resulting in death. The boat capsized on August 8 near Liberty Island, killing Sara Sanchez, 27, and her 5-month-old daughter, Antonella Garcia, according to NBC News.
Hernandez-Umana failed to register the boat and lacked the certification required to operate it in the harbor with paying customers, the outlet reported, citing charging documents. The Salvadoran national also did not have infant-sized flotation devices on board.
When the capsizing occurred, Hernandez-Umana was using a friend’s boat to tour a group near the Statue of Liberty because his vessel needed repairs, according to NBC. The boat, which had a capacity of 10, reportedly carried 14 people, including Hernandez-Umana.
The captain allegedly did not know the boat’s capacity, according to NBC.
Antonella’s parents allegedly told Hernandez-Umana that they did not have an infant-sized flotation device for their baby before they boarded the boat. The illegal immigrant then told them that he also did not have one and that one of the parents would need to wear a flotation device and hold the baby during the tour, which the mother did.
Hernandez made a U-turn about three hours and 20 minutes into the tour, sending the boat into a swell that caused the boat to capsize and toss everyone overboard, NBC reported.
“Illegal charter operations gamble with human life, and in this case, the alleged conduct led to an unthinkable tragedy,” Coast Guard Investigative Service Assistant Director Josh Packer said. “As the Coast Guard’s criminal investigative agency, CGIS brings unmatched maritime subject-matter expertise coupled with federal law enforcement authority.”
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