Manuel Hernandez, a 46-year-old national from El Salvador, was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) following a U.S. Coast Guard investigation that confirmed he was living in the U.S. illegally. Hernandez is accused of operating an overcrowded and unlicensed boat tour that capsized near Liberty Island on August 8, resulting in the deaths of a 27-year-old woman and her 5-month-old daughter. He faces 13 counts of reckless endangerment at the state level and two federal charges of misconduct and neglect of a ship officer resulting in death.
According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Hernandez entered the U.S. illegally in 2007 and falsely claimed to be a U.S. citizen. He allegedly operated the boat with 14 passengers, exceeding its maximum capacity of 10, and did not provide appropriate life vests for the infant. Hernandez reportedly told investigators he was unaware of the licensing requirements for operating a commercial vessel.
DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin stated that Hernandez would be removed from the U.S. after facing the criminal charges. The capsizing incident threw all 14 individuals into the water, with 11 survivors, while the mother and infant were later pronounced dead at a hospital. Each federal charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.