Tugboat captain to plead guilty

A Miami tugboat captain who is facing a criminal charge for a deadly 2025 Biscayne Bay crash that killed three children is expected to plead guilty under a deal with prosecutors, according to his attorneys.

Yusiel Lopez Insua, 46, is set to take a plea deal in July 21 and will not go to trial, his defense said during a federal court proceeding on May 12, 2026.

“The case will be worked out,” said Walter Reynoso, Insua’s defense attorney. “My client will not put the families through a trial and expose them to relive this terrible tragedy.”

A counselor and two children escaped after being dragged under the barge but the other three girls were trapped in the wreckage and drowned. Insua faces up to 10 years in federal prison if convicted.Insua faces up to 10 years in federal prison if convicted.