1 dead after attack aboard trawler; Mexican national charged with murder

BOSTON — A fisherman is dead after a reported attack aboard a trawler off the coast of Nantucket, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.

At least two fishermen were attacked aboard the boat over the weekend and had to be rescued from the fishing boat by a German cruise ship, aboard which one of the fishermen was pronounced dead.

A Coast Guard cutter responded to distress calls along with the German cruise ship who pulled alongside the trawler to bring the injured fisherman aboard.

One person has been taken into custody by the Coast Guard.

Franklin Freddy Meave Vazquez was charged with one count of murder for the incident within the Special Maritime and Territorial Jurisdiction of the United States, according to a special agent with the United States Coast Guard Investigative Service.

Vazquez is a citizen and national of Mexico, who the special agent said was not lawfully in the United States. He was arrested in Newport News, Virginia in March for abduction by force, intimidation or deception, and he was released from jail.

He entered the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) upon his release. ICE released a statement that "despite ICE's objections, an immigration judge granted Meave-Vazquez bond. ICE had to release him from custody April 27 after he posted bond. Vazquez's immigration case remains in proceedings before an immigration judge. ICE is closely monitoring his case to determine next steps to ensure he no longer poses a public safety threat.""

The Captain Billy Haver is an 82-foot fishing vessel out of Virginia and was 60 miles east of Nantucket when the Coast Guard says one of the crew attacked others with either a hammer or a knife.

The German cruise ship Mein Schiff 6 redirected from its journey to rescue the fisherman and docked in Boston. The ship was joined by the Coast Guard and the trawler for an investigation of the incident.

The Peters family was on the cruise ship when the captain announced they had to go help a fishing trawler that had an incident overboard.

"They just let us know we had to rescue two people. I was sitting in a bar having coffee and reading a newspaper. And then I looked outside and saw that," said Fiona Peters.

Investigators are now working to figure out what exactly happened.

MORE: Man suspected of setting 4 fires in Pittsfield caught at Canadian border

Cox Media Group