A tugboat captain who killed three young girls after his barge ran over and crushed their sailing camp boat has pleaded guilty.
Yusiel Lopez Insua admitted seaman’s manslaughter over the tragedy, which also left two other children seriously injured.
Prosecutors said the 47-year-old’s forward view was blocked by construction debris, a deckhouse and a crane.
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No crew member had been appointed as a lookout despite the tugboat travelling through an area frequently used by sailboats, as reported by Need To Know.
According to a criminal complaint previously obtained by PEOPLE, investigators said Lopez Insua had been using his mobile phone at the time of the crash.
Mila Yankelevich, seven, Arielle “Ari” Mazi Buchman, 10, and Erin Victoria Ko Han, 13, died following the collision.
Lopez Insua pleaded guilty in federal court on Tuesday (21 Jul).
Prosecutors are recommending a one-year prison sentence followed by six months of home detention as part of the plea agreement.
His sentencing is scheduled for 13 October.
The crash happened in Biscayne Bay, near Miami Beach, Florida, US.
Lopez Insua, of Miami, had been operating a 25ft tugboat pushing a 108ft-long barge loaded with concrete debris from a seawall demolition job.
The barge was travelling across the bay when it encountered a 17ft Hobie Getaway sailboat carrying five girls and a 19-year-old Miami Yacht Club camp counsellor.
Prosecutors said the sailboat had lost its wind propulsion and stalled in the path of the approaching vessels.
The counsellor reportedly stood up and attempted to alert the tugboat crew.
However, Lopez Insua did not slow down or reverse course before the impact.
The barge ran over the sailboat, capsizing and crushing it before pinning it underneath its hull.
The counsellor and two girls were dragged beneath the barge but managed to escape.
Both children, aged seven and eight, were seriously injured, with one swimming to safety after becoming trapped underneath the larger vessel.
Mila, Ari and Erin became trapped in the wreckage and drowned.
The complaint said data from the device “[indicated] activity on internet marketplaces, including at the time when the collision occurred”.
Two other crew members were aboard the barge, but neither had been assigned to watch the water ahead.
Authorities also alleged that Lopez Insua had experienced several near misses in the days before the collision.
The fatal crash occurred at around 11am on 28 July, 2025.
Lopez Insua was charged with seaman’s manslaughter on 31 March following recommendations from the Coast Guard Investigative Service.
When the charge was announced, U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones said: “Our hearts are with the families of the children who lost their lives in this tragedy.
“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.”
The plea agreement had been expected since May.
The girls’ families did not attend the plea hearing, although some reportedly plan to be present for sentencing.
Mila was the granddaughter of renowned Argentine television and film producers Gustavo Yankelevich and Cris Morena.
Ari was the cousin of former Bal Harbour mayor Gabriel Groisman and had attended Mady’s Dance Factory for nearly two years.
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