A Salvadoran illegal alien accused of operating an overloaded and unlicensed charter boat that capsized near the Statue of Liberty, killing a young mother and her infant daughter, is now in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
As The Gateway Pundit previously reported, Manuel Ernesto Hernandez-Umana, 46, of Manville, New Jersey, was piloting a Yamaha AR210 carrying 14 people, four over its maximum capacity of 10, on the night of August 8 when the vessel flipped after he made a U-turn into a swell near Liberty Island.
Sara Sanchez, 27, of Queens, and her 5-month-old daughter, Antonella Garcia, were pulled from the water unresponsive and pronounced dead at a Brooklyn hospital. Twelve others, including the baby’s father, survived.
Federal authorities say Hernandez was running paid boat tours without the required Coast Guard credentials or proper safety equipment. The boat had no infant-sized life jackets.
Prosecutors allege he knowingly took the baby aboard anyway and told the mother to simply hold her during the trip. He faces two federal counts of misconduct and neglect of a ship officer resulting in death, each carrying up to 10 years in prison, along with state reckless endangerment charges.
After being released on $50,000 bail following his federal court appearance, ICE agents arrested him.
The Department of Homeland Security revealed that Hernandez, a native of El Salvador, entered the United States illegally through Texas in 2007 by lying to a border agent and falsely claiming he was an American citizen.
“This criminal illegal alien was illegally and recklessly conducting unlicensed boat tours in New York Harbor when his boat capsized, killing a 27-year-old woman and her 5-month-old baby,” said DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin. “Thanks to the hard work of the men and women of the Coast Guard, ICE, and our federal, state, and local partners, this criminal is off our streets and out of our waterways. Once he faces justice for his crimes, we will make sure that he is swiftly removed from our country.”
“Federal regulations and maritime safety protocols exist to protect the lives and wellbeing of passengers on commercial vessels,” said U.S. Attorney Jamie McDonald. “The defendant allegedly flouted those regulations when he transported paying customers on a commercial vessel without appropriate licenses, overcrowded the vessel, and took on a 5-month-old infant passenger, with no infant life vests onboard. We mourn the tragic drowning deaths of the infant and her mother and urge would-be tour operators and the public to observe all safety protocols for commercial vessels.”
“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. “As the Coast Guard’s criminal investigative agency, CGIS brings unmatched maritime subject-matter expertise coupled with federal law enforcement authority. 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.”
Hernandez will remain in ICE custody while his criminal case proceeds. After any sentence is served, he faces removal proceedings.
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