Honduran oyster worker drowns fleeing Coast Guard in Louisiana
Dec 18, 2025·Location: Hopedale, LA
Country of origin: Honduras

Walter Francisco Cerrato Cabrera, a 48-year-old Honduran deckhand who had worked on oyster boats for 20 years, drowned on December 18 while jumping into Bayou La Loutre to avoid U.S. Coast Guard agents who had stopped at the docks. Cerrato and a younger coworker jumped from their boat when agents approached, but Cerrato, who could not swim, drowned in the bayou. The incident occurred amid increased immigration enforcement operations in lower St. Bernard Parish.
Sources
- An Immigrant Died Building a Ship for the U.S. Government. His Family Got Nothing.
ProPublica·Oct 22, 2024·archived copy
- Oystermen grieve Honduran deckhand who drowned fleeing feds during Louisiana immigration sweeps
nola.com·Jan 15, 2026·archived copy
- A Honduran man visiting family drowned over the Memorial Day weekend in Bogalusa
WDSU·Jun 1, 2023·archived copy
- nola.com
- Coast Guard Begins Targeting Fish Boats' Foreign Crews
loosecannon.substack.com·Feb 19, 2026·archived copy
- nola.com
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