Tugboat Captain Pleads Guilty in Fatal Biscayne Bay Collision That Killed Three Children

A Miami tugboat captain has pleaded guilty to federal seaman’s manslaughter charges after admitting he operated a tug and barge with obstructed visibility, failed to post a proper lookout, and was using his cellphone before a collision that killed three children participating in a Biscayne Bay sailing camp.

Yusiel Lopez Insua, 46, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court after prosecutors said his actions led to the July 28, 2025, collision between a construction barge and a stalled sailboat carrying a sailing instructor and five children.

According to court records, Insua was operating a 25-foot tugboat pushing a 108-foot construction debris barge