Unlicensed Boat Tours Near Statue of Liberty Kill Mother and Baby, Captain Arrested by ICE

A Night on the Water Turns Deadly

The boat ride was supposed to be part of a birthday celebration. Instead, it became one of the most devastating maritime tragedies New York Harbor has seen in years. On August 8, 2026, a vessel piloted by Manuel Ernesto Hernandez-Umana, an illegal alien from El Salvador, capsized in New York Harbor. The NYPD identified the victims as Sara Sanchez, 27, and 5-month-old Antonella Garcia. Sources with knowledge of the investigation confirmed the two victims were mother and daughter.

The boat capsized around 10:30 p.m. near Liberty Island, prompting a major rescue operation. NYPD divers and first responders with the New York Fire Department, as well as two Coast Guard vessels and an NYPD helicopter, responded to a call of "persons in the water." Twelve people were pulled from the harbor, but two others were found in critical condition. Sara Sanchez and her daughter Antonella Garcia were recovered from the waters but could not be resuscitated and were pronounced dead at nearby hospitals.

A Cascade of Violations

Hernandez-Umana, 46, was arrested on August 9 and charged after a boat carrying 14 people capsized near the Statue of Liberty. A complaint filed in the Southern District of New York said he was piloting the boat without proper licenses and that his vessel was over capacity when it capsized. The dangers didn't stop there. 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.

An illegal charter is a passenger-for-hire operation that lacks required Coast Guard credentials, safety equipment, and a certificate of inspection. Federal rules generally require more credentials and inspections for boats carrying more than six passengers for hire. Hernandez-Umana was allegedly running a tourist operation in some of the most heavily trafficked waters in the country — near the Statue of Liberty — without any of the required safeguards in place.

Coast Guard Investigation Triggers ICE Arrest

After an investigation by the Coast Guard Investigative Service confirmed Hernandez-Umana's unlawful presence in the United States, ICE's Enforcement and Removal Operations arrested him. Hernandez faces two federal counts of misconduct and neglect of a ship officer resulting in death. Hernandez-Umana was released by a judge after he made his initial appearance in federal court earlier this month. His subsequent ICE detention, announced by DHS on August 19, marks a significant escalation in the case.

DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin did not mince words. "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," Mullin said, adding that the arrest was the result of hard work by the Coast Guard, ICE, and federal, state, and local partners. CGIS Assistant Director Josh Packer stated that "illegal charter operations gamble with human life, and in this case, the alleged conduct led to an unthinkable tragedy."

What Comes Next

Hernandez-Umana is expected to face trial before being deported. The case has drawn sharp attention to the dangers of unregulated, for-hire boat operations — a problem authorities say is not unique to New York. Unlicensed operators often avoid the safety inspections, passenger limits, and equipment requirements that licensed charters must meet, leaving passengers with no meaningful protection if something goes wrong.

For the families of Sara Sanchez and baby Antonella Garcia, no legal outcome will undo the loss. But the case is now forcing a broader conversation about how illegal charter operations are identified and stopped before tragedies occur. With federal charges filed, an ICE hold in place, and a Coast Guard investigation on record, prosecutors will be under enormous pressure to deliver accountability — and the maritime safety community will be watching closely to see whether stricter enforcement follows.