Tugboat captain charged with seaman’s manslaughter

Tugboat captain Yusiel Lopez Insua, 46, of Miami has been charged with seaman’s manslaughter after operating a barge with obstructed visibility and without a proper lookout, resulting in a fatal collision in Biscayne Bay that killed three children aboard a sail training vessel.

“Our hearts are with the families of the children who lost their lives in this tragedy,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “This information alleges a preventable loss of life on our waterways, including the failure to follow basic maritime safety rules and cellphone use during transit at or near the time of the collision. We will present the evidence in court with care and professionalism. As in every case, the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.”

According to court records, Insua was piloting a tugboat pushing a barge loaded with construction debris across Biscayne Bay on July 28, 2025. The vessel’s forward view was obstructed by a deckhouse and crane, and no one aboard was assigned as a lookout.

At the same time, a children’s sailing camp run by the Miami Youth Sailing Foundation, was operating nearby. A sailboat operated by the camp carrying ng five girls, ages 7 to 13, and a 19-year-old female counselor counselor lost wind and stalled in the path of the tugboat and barge.

“Due to the obstructed visibility, and lack of a lookout, Insua did not see the stalled sailboat before the barge struck it,” says the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
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The counselor and two children escaped after being dragged under the barge. Three children were trapped in the wreckage and drowned.

A forensic review of Insua’s cellphone revealed internet activity during transit, including at or near the time of the collision.

Insua is charged with seaman’s manslaughter. If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in federal prison.

According to 7News Miami, at a hearing in Federal Court on Friday, Insua pleaded not guilty. The judge handed out a $100,000 bond and ordered that Insua must stay away from the victims’ surviving family members and witnesses and must not operate a maritime vessel.