Officials: Boat driver in New York fatal capsizing was in US illegally

Key Points:

• Manuel Ernesto Hernandez-Umana, the pilot of a speedboat that capsized near the Statue of Liberty killing an infant and her mother, was arrested by U.S. immigration authorities for being in the country illegally.
• Hernandez-Umana, a Salvadoran citizen, falsely claimed U.S. citizenship upon entering the U.S. in 2007 and is currently held in an ICE detention facility in New Jersey, with plans for eventual deportation.
• He faces federal charges for causing the deaths through misconduct or neglect, as he was unlicensed, unaware of safety rules, and piloted an overcrowded, illegally chartered boat during the fatal incident.
• The boat, operated under Zeus Luxury Rental Inc., was overcrowded beyond its 10-person capacity, lacked child life preservers, and the infant victim was not wearing a life vest as required by federal law.
• Hernandez-Umana had been working for Zeus Luxury Rental on a contract basis and used a friend’s boat for the tour because his own vessel was under repair; the company has faced previous safety incidents.