A boat piloted by Manuel Ernesto Hernandez-Umana, an illegal alien from El Salvador, capsized in New York Harbor on August 8, 2026, killing a 27-year-old woman and her 5-month-old infant.
Hernandez-Umana was conducting unlicensed tour operations at the time, and the vessel was over capacity, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The U.S. Coast Guard, New York Police Department and New York City Fire Department responded to the scene, and both bodies were recovered and pronounced deceased at a local hospital.
Federal prosecutors charged Hernandez-Umana with two counts of misconduct and neglect of a ship officer resulting in death. After the Coast Guard Investigative Service confirmed his unlawful presence, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested him.
According to the complaint, Hernandez-Umana claims to have illegally entered the United States through Texas in 2007 after lying to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer and falsely claiming to be a U.S. citizen.
"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."