ICE Arrests Captain of Capsized Liberty Island Boat Tour
A Coast Guard investigation found that Manuel Hernandez, 46, is a national of El Salvador. Hernandez has been federally charged in the deaths of a mother and her 5-month-old daughter.
| 20 Aug 2026 | 03:39
Manuel Hernandez was arrested by ICE after a Coast Guard investigation found him to be in the U.S. illegally. Hernandez was the captain of a boat that capsized, leading to the deaths of a mother and her 5-month-old daughter. (
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The captain of the party boat that capsized in the New York Harbor, leading to the death of a mother and her infant daughter, was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement after an investigation found that he was in the U.S. illegally. He will remain in ICE custody while awaiting trial.
Manuel Hernandez, 46, was arrested on Aug. 9 after the Liberty Island charter boat he was operating capsized on the night of Aug. 8, leading to chaos and the deaths of Queens residents Sara Sánchez, 27, and her 5-month-old daughter Antonella Garcia.
A Coast Guard investigation found that Hernandez is a national of El Salvador and entered the U.S. illegally in 2007, according to a statement from the Department of Homeland Security released on Aug. 19.
DHS said that Hernandez entered the U.S. through Texas by lying to federal officials at the border, claiming that he was a U.S. citizen. Hernandez, who faces two federal counts of misconduct and neglect resulting in death, will still face trial before being deported.
“Once he faces justice for his crimes, we will make sure that he is swiftly removed from our country,” said DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin.
After initially being arrested by the NYPD, federal authorities took over the investigation into whether Hernandez was illegally operating the charter.
On Aug. 10, he received his federal charges. He did not enter a plea and was released on $50,000 bail.
An investigation conducted by the Coast Guard found that the 14 passengers on the boat, a Yamaha AR210, were over its maximum capacity of 10. Furthermore, the boat did not have lifejackets necessary for infants on board.
According to a complaint filed in the Southern District of New York, Hernandez was also operating the boat without the proper licenses. Hernandez allegedly told prosecutors that he was borrowing the boat from a friend while his was being serviced.
The group, which was celebrating a birthday, paid at least $1,800 for the tour and boarded around 7 p.m. At around 10:25 p.m., a 911 call came in reporting the incident.
Twelve of the 14 passengers were rescued by a passing party boat and survived, including Sánchez’s boyfriend and Antonella’s father, Andres Garcia.
Sánchez and Antonella were found by police divers in critical condition and were taken to Brooklyn’s NYU Langone Hospital, where they were pronounced dead.