Near the Statue of Liberty earlier this month, a sightseeing speedboat capsized in the waters, resulting in the tragic drowning of a mother and her daughter. On Wednesday, there was a new development in the case as the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that the 46-year-old speedboat driver involved has been officially detained by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Officials from the Department of Homeland Security revealed that after an in-depth investigation by the Coast Guard into the sunken ship incident, it was confirmed that the boat captain, Manuel Hernandez, who is 46 years old, was an undocumented immigrant illegally residing in the United States. He was immediately detained by the Immigration Enforcement Department.
Hernandez, aged 46, hails from El Salvador. In 2007, he falsely claimed to be a U.S. citizen to officials of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at the Texas border, entering the U.S. illegally.
In the case of the capsized boat incident, Hernandez is accused of misconduct or neglect that led to the drowning deaths of 27-year-old Sara Sanchez and her 5-month-old daughter.
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin explicitly stated in a released statement that after the conclusion of Hernandez’s criminal proceedings, he will be directly deported.
Federal prosecutors pointed out that the 21-foot Yamaha AR210 speedboat involved not only operated unlawfully but also had a series of serious safety violations.
The maximum capacity of this type of boat is only 10 people, yet on the night of the incident, it was carrying 14 people.
Around 10:20 p.m. on August 8th, the speedboat was navigating through the waters near Liberty Island when Hernandez made a sudden U-turn amid turbulent waves (possibly influenced by the wake of a large vessel), causing the boat to take on water and quickly capsize and sink.