Tugboat captain involved in deadly 2025 Biscayne Bay sailboat crash sentenced to 18 months in prison

The tugboat captain who was steering the barge that crashed into a sailboat on Biscayne Bay, killing three girls, was sentenced to 18 months in prison on Tuesday afternoon.Investigators said that several errors led to the deadly crash in July 2025, including not assigning a lookout when his view was obstructed.The tugboat captain, Yusiel Lopez Insua, pleaded guilty and the prosecutors, the defense and the families of the victims all agreed on a sentence.The charge of seaman's manslaughter carries a maximum sentence of 10 years. But Insua's attorney told CBS News Miami that the captain did not want to drag the families through a brutal trial.That's why he said he changed his plea to guilty and took the deal.Investigators said Insua's view was obstructed by a crane on the barge he was operating in July 2025, and he didn't assign a lookout.They said he was also shopping online at the time of the crash. So, that's why he didn't see the sailboat with five campers and a 19-year-old counselor