Brooklyn bridge collision: What we know about Mexico’s Cuauhtémoc naval ship?

On Saturday, the ARM Cuauhtémoc, a Mexican Navy sail training vessel, collided with the Brooklyn Bridge in Manhattan. The ship's three towering masts scraped beneath the bridge, leading to serious damage and injuries. New York City Mayor Eric Adams confirmed that two people were killed and at least 19 injured, including four critically out of the 277 people onboard. Following the incident, all lanes on the Brooklyn Bridge were temporarily closed in both directions.

The ARM Cuauhtémoc (BE01) is a three-masted barque, which serves as a sail training ship for the Mexican Navy. It was commissioned in 1982, under the name Celaya. The vessel was constructed in Bilbao, Spain, and designed by Juan José Romero de Larrañaga. It is one of four sister ships built to resemble classic 1930s designs, like Germany’s Gorch Fock and the US’s USCGC Eagle. According to Sail Training International, the vessel is roughly 90.5 meters (297 feet) long, 12 meters (39.4 feet) wide, and nearly 45 meters (147 feet) high.

The vessel is a 297-foot sailing yacht, named after Cuauhtémoc, the last Aztec emperor. It means "Descending Eagle" in the Nahuatl language. Cuauhtémoc ruled from 1520 to 1521 and was later executed by Spanish forces in 1525. In the Mexican heritage, his name is a symbol of resilience and honour.

The vessel is not a warship but rather a sail training vessel. It plays a pivotal role in teaching navigation, seamanship, and naval tradition to Mexican naval cadets. The ship additionally serves as a cultural envoy, and visits ports around the world to promote diplomacy and goodwill.

This incident occurred during a scheduled training cruise that began on 6 April 2025. The voyage was offering practical learning for cadets and foster international relations. The collision happened during a scheduled New York visit.The ship left the Mexican port of Acapulco on April 6 with 277 people onboard, and was scheduled to visit 22 ports in 15 nations, including Kingston, Jamaica; Havana, Cuba; Cozumel, Mexico; and New York. It was scheduled for a 254-day voyage.

In a public statement, the Mexican Navy said, “The Secretary of the Navy renews its commitment to the safety of personnel, transparency in its operations and excellent training for future officers of the Mexican Armada.”