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Salvadoran man detained by ICE after fatal NY Harbor boat capsize

Aug 20, 2026·Location: New York, NY

Country of origin: El Salvador

Salvadoran man detained by ICE after fatal NY Harbor boat capsize
Photo via CNN

Manuel Ernesto Hernandez-Umana, 46, an El Salvador national, was detained by ICE after a Coast Guard investigation confirmed his unlawful presence in the United States. He had been arrested on August 9 following the capsizing of a boat near the Statue of Liberty that killed 27-year-old Sara Sanchez and her 5-month-old daughter, Antonella Garcia, both of Queens. Federal prosecutors said the 21-foot vessel was illegally chartered and overcrowded with 14 people aboard, more than double its 10-person capacity, and capsized around 10:20 p.m. on August 8 as Hernandez made a U-turn in choppy waters possibly caused by a larger vessel's wake. He told authorities he entered the U.S. through Texas in 2007 after falsely claiming to be a citizen, and he remains in ICE custody awaiting trial, after which he will face removal proceedings.

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