HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – A historic Mexican Navy training ship is in Honolulu Harbor for an important visit, nearly 15 months after a fatal accident in New York City.
Crowds welcomed the repaired and restored ARM Cuauhtemoc to Hawaii on Friday morning.
Known as “Mexico’s Ambassador and Knight of the Seas,” the tall ship has been training Mexican Navy cadets for 44 years around the world.
This is the ship’s first visit to an international port since May 2025, when it struck the Brooklyn Bridge, causing its three masts to snap, leaving crew members dangling from harnesses and holding onto wires. Two sailors died and about 20 others were injured.
“Their service, courage and devotion to Mexico will always be remembered,” said Marco Mena, Consul General of Mexico in San Francisco, during a welcome ceremony on the ship. “May this port call further strengthen the friendship between Mexico and Hawaii.”
“We were just sharing actually how it’s important these days to be resilient and they were also acknowledging our third anniversary of the Maui wildfire which spoke to us because of what they went through and what we all went through here in Hawaii,” said Gov. Josh Green.
The National Transportation Safety Board has yet to release its final report on what caused the accident, but early reports suggested a mechanical malfunction led the ship to sail backward under the bridge.
“That situation proved that the Mexican Navy was ready to to act immediately,” Mena said. “That is the reason that this port call and and this occasion in which we’re going to have the Cuauhtemoc in several cities of the U.S. is a way to be resilient of that situation.”
Today, a new crew of about 200 sailors continue the ship’s legacy with a sharper focus on safety while continuing its mission of peace and goodwill.
“It’s something very tragic, but we are always getting the highest capacity. Because we have to do all of this with the safety conditions, so we are here to endurance, our knowledge and our abilities,” said midshipman Pedro Gutierrez.
“We were sad when that happened, but that’s always for learn and that make us be more strong,” said midshipman Marcela Garza.
A visit that also strengthens Mexico’s ties with Hawaii, where 50,000 residents of Mexican nationality and heritage call home.
The ship is hosting free public tours Saturday through Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Pier 10. No tickets needed.
Copyright 2026 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.