Posted on August 21, 2026

ICE Arrests Captain in New York Boat Accident That Killed 2

Jonathan Wolfe, New York Times, August 20, 2026

The captain in a deadly boat accident in New York Harbor this month was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement after an investigation found that he was in the United States unlawfully, the federal authorities said on Wednesday.

The captain, Manuel Hernandez, 46, was initially arrested on Aug. 9, the day after the boat capsized in the harbor, killing a mother and her 5-month-old daughter. A Coast Guard investigation found that the boat was over capacity when it capsized near the Statue of Liberty and did not have life jackets for infants on board, according to a criminal complaint.

Mr. Hernandez was charged on Aug. 10 in Federal District Court in Manhattan with two counts of misconduct and neglect resulting in death. He was released on $50,000 bail. ICE agents arrested him after the Coast Guard’s investigation, the Department of Homeland Security said on Wednesday.

The department said that Mr. Hernandez was from El Salvador and had lied to a Border Patrol officer when he crossed into Texas from Mexico in 2007, falsely claiming to be a U.S. citizen.

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Mr. Hernandez was piloting a Yamaha AR210 chartered for a birthday celebration on Aug. 8 when it capsized, killing a 27-year-old woman, Sara Sánchez, and her daughter, Antonella.

The boat was carrying 14 people at the time, exceeding its maximum capacity of 10, according to a federal complaint.

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