Prosecutors recommend one year in prison under plea agreement
A Miami tugboat captain pleaded guilty Tuesday to seaman’s manslaughter in the deaths of three girls from a summer sailing camp killed when the vessel he was operating struck their sailboat.
Yusiel Lopez Insua, 47, of Miami, entered the guilty plea in federal court, according to court records. The tugboat was pushing a construction barge when it struck the sailboat carrying the campers, killing three children.
The charge of seaman’s manslaughter carries a maximum of 10 years in federal prison. As part of a plea agreement, prosecutors have recommended a sentence of one year in prison followed by six months of home detention. A federal judge will make the final sentencing decision.
“Three children lost their lives in a tragedy that never should have happened,” U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Jason Reding Quiñones said in a statement. “Yusiel Lopez Insua … admitted that his criminal failure to follow basic maritime safety rules caused this deadly collision. Our hearts remain with the children’s families and everyone whose lives were forever changed that day.”
The plea agreement, if accepted by the judge, would result in incarceration well below the statutory maximum for the federal charge. The final sentence will be determined at a future hearing.