ICE arrests boat captain charged in New York harbor crash that killed woman and her baby
Manuel Ernesto Hernandez-Umana was illegally in the U.S., DHS said.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested the boat captain charged with a crash that killed two in New York harbor earlier this month, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
Manuel Ernesto Hernandez-Umana was at the helm of a boat that overturned Aug. 8 near the Statue of Liberty and killed a 27-year-old woman and her 5-month-old baby, according to prosecutors. He was charged by the Justice Department with two counts of misconduct and neglect of a ship officer.
Investigators alleged the boat he was driving was over capacity which led to it overturning.
The 12 survivors were rescued with minor injuries, the Coast Guard said.
The Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS) has been leading the probe and said that Hernandez-Umana was in the United States illegally, and he was subsequently arrested by ICE.
"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
An attorney for Hernandez-Umana did not immediately respond to ABC News' request for comment.
Hernandez-Umana was released by a judge after he made his initial appearance in federal court earlier this month.
"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."
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