He said an initial report was that the ship lost power due to a mechanical problem, though officials cautioned that the information was preliminary. Videos show a tugboat was close to the Cuauhtemoc at the time of the crash.
As midnight approached, the broken boat was moved slowly up the East River, going under and past the Manhattan Bridge, aided by a series of tugboats, before docking at a pier. Onlookers continued to gather on the waterfront to watch the spectacle.
Each year the Cuauhtemoc sets out at the end of classes at the naval military school to finish cadets' training. This year it left the Mexican port of Acapulco, on the Pacific coast, on April 6, the navy said.