Sea World Management, Edmon Fajardo Convicted in Oil Dumping Scheme

Oil and garbage were dumped illegally into the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea by the crew of the tank vessel Sea Faith, under orders from master Edmon Fajardo, who then conspired with his company, Sea World Management & Trading Inc., to cover it up with falsified records. The operation, which occurred during a 2017 voyage to Corpus Christi, Texas, was exposed after a federal investigation revealed a pattern of deliberate pollution and record tampering.

Between March 10 and March 18, 2017, Fajardo ordered crew members to discharge oil cargo residues and machinery space bilge water directly into the ocean—bypassing required pollution prevention equipment. These unreported discharges happened multiple times while the vessel was en route, violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships. The oil releases were never logged in the Sea Faith’s Oil Record Book, a legal requirement for all tank vessels operating in U.S. waters.

Even more brazen, on March 10 and March 15, 2017, Fajardo directed the crew to toss plastics, empty steel drums, oily rags, batteries, and paint cans overboard. None of these garbage discharges were recorded in the vessel’s Garbage Record Book. The dumping occurred in international waters but still falls under U.S. jurisdiction due to the vessel’s destination and compliance obligations under federal and international maritime law.

Sea World Management & Trading Inc. and Edmon Fajardo pleaded guilty to two felony counts of failing to accurately maintain the Sea Faith’s required pollution logs. The company will pay a $2.25 million fine and serve a three-year probation period. During that time, every vessel it operates and enters U.S. ports must follow a strict Environmental Compliance Plan to prevent future violations.

Fajardo was sentenced to six months in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release. He was also hit with a $2,000 fine. Prosecutors emphasized that commanders who knowingly violate environmental protections and falsify records will face serious consequences, especially when their actions endanger marine ecosystems and undermine international shipping regulations.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Coast Guard Corpus Christi Sector, the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, and the Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney-In-Charge Julie K. Hampton and Trial Attorney Stephen Da Ponte of the Justice Department’s Environmental Crimes Section handled the prosecution, underscoring federal resolve to crack down on maritime environmental crimes.