SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO — A federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment on October 7, 2026, charging three Dominican Republic nationals in connection with a maritime human smuggling venture that capsized near Mona Island on September 28, 2026. The incident resulted in three deaths and left 12 individuals missing.

Authorities rescued 49 foreign nationals from the capsized vessel and recovered the bodies of three Dominican male nationals. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Juan is in charge of the investigation. The U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations, Puerto Rico Police Department Fuerzas Unidas de Rápida Acción units, and a good Samaritan boater conducted a coordinated search-and-rescue response.

Defendants Máximo Alexander Castillo-Cabrera and Víctor Alfonso Montilla-Espíritu Santo are charged with conspiracy to bring illegal aliens to the United States for commercial advantage and private financial gain. Defendant Danny De La Rosa-Mercedes is charged with violence against maritime navigation for assaulting people with a machete, resulting in death. All three defendants face one count each of improper entry by alien.

"The defendants attempted to illegally smuggle 64 migrants into Puerto Rico, leading to the tragic deaths of three people and 12 individuals are still missing," said Héctor Ramírez-Carbó, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. "This case demonstrates the grave danger associated with human smuggling operations."

Ramírez-Carbó added that human smugglers threaten national security and exploit vulnerable people for profit with no regard for their safety. He said the U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to work with federal, state, and local partners to bring those who smuggle illegal aliens to justice and dismantle their criminal organizations.

"Three deaths are far too high a price to pay for an illegal venture to enter the United States," said Yariel Ramos, HSI San Juan Special Agent in Charge. "Do not take this journey to sea." Ramos warned that "these smuggling ventures are dangerous, reckless and exploitative, and they may be your final trip anywhere." An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Why It Matters

"Thanks to the courageous effort of Good Samaritans and the swift, synchronized response between the U.S. Coast Guard, federal and local partners in Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic’s Navy and Air Force, 49 human lives were pulled from the sea after a catastrophic vessel capsize," said Robert E. Stiles, Sector San Juan deputy. Stiles noted that the tragic recovery of three deceased individuals and those still unaccounted for stands as a grim indictment of unlawful maritime migration. He described the case as an example of unified commitment to interdict these voyages, dismantle the transnational criminal networks behind them, and bring human smugglers responsible to justice.