The Biobío Regional Prosecutor's Office will formalize charges against three crew members of the fishing vessel Cobra and the company Blumar for culpable homicide in the collision that killed seven fishermen from the Bruma boat. The incident happened on March 30 off the coast of Coronel. The victims' families accept the formalization but argue there was intent, while the defense calls it an accident.
On March 30, 2025, in the early morning, the bacalera boat Bruma lost contact while sailing in open sea off the coast of Coronel, in the Biobío Region. The investigation revealed that the fishing vessel Cobra, owned by Blumar, collided with the smaller boat, killing its seven occupants: José Luis Medel Sepúlveda, José Luis Medel González, Juan Jorge Muñoz Balladares, José Fernando Carrasco González, Julio Eduardo Gallardo Díaz, Carlos Hugo Escárate Ramírez, and Jonathan Daniel Torres Saldaña.
On November 19, 2025, regional prosecutor Marcela Cartagena met with the victims' families and their lawyers to inform them of the Public Prosecutor's decision. "We will proceed to formalize first three of the four crew members of the PAM Cobra on the night of the accident. The people in charge of the boat will be formalized as authors of culpable homicide. And we will also proceed to formalize the company Blumar for the criminal responsibility that we believe corresponds to it," Cartagena explained.
The formalization will be requested from the Coronel Guarantee Court against Captain Roberto Mansilla and two crew members who were on the navigation bridge. Blumar will face charges as a legal entity.
The families' lawyer, Rafael Poblete, welcomed Blumar's formalization for its "undeniable responsibility," but criticized the culpable homicide charge. "We hope to be able to demonstrate that the figure corresponds to an intentional one," he said. Catalina Medel, daughter of the Bruma's captain, added: "As a family, we do not agree with the crime they want to formalize. We as a family continue to insist that there was intent here."
Additionally, it was confirmed that the Cobra's black box did not record anything, which Poblete called an "international embarrassment" and pointed to the Navy's responsibility. The crew's defense, represented by Alejandro Espinoza, rejected the charges: "This was a very regrettable accident. We have sufficient evidence to demonstrate the total innocence of the crew members." Espinoza emphasized that the Cobra had all its navigation systems operational and certifications up to date.
Eight months after the incident, this formalization marks the start of the judicial process, with opposing views among the involved parties.
