A federal judge in Norfolk, Virginia, dismissed a civil lawsuit filed by Elsie Dominguez, a civilian marine engineer who alleged that she was raped aboard a U.S. Navy-operated transport vessel, ruling that her claim falls under the federal workers' compensation system.
Dominguez worked as a first assistant engineer for the Military Sealift Command aboard the USNS Carson City. She alleged that the vessel's captain, Yamil Sanchez Padilla, entered her locked private cabin using a master key and raped her while she was asleep and unable to consent.
Dominguez sued the federal government, alleging negligence and a failure to provide a safe workplace. The government argued that the Federal Employees' Compensation Act applied because the alleged assault occurred while Dominguez was working and stationed aboard the vessel in a travel status.
The federal court agreed with the government's position and dismissed the civil lawsuit in August 2026. The ruling requires Dominguez's claim to be handled through the Department of Labor's federal workers' compensation program rather than through a civil negligence lawsuit against the government.
A separate criminal matter involving Sanchez Padilla began in February 2025, when Coast Guard prosecutors issued a sexual misconduct complaint against him. The criminal case was later withdrawn after Sanchez Padilla voluntarily surrendered his merchant mariner credentials.
The case also prompted the Military Sealift Command to implement security changes across its fleet, including enhanced security-camera coverage and tighter controls over master keys aboard vessels.
The federal court's ruling concerned the legal framework governing Dominguez's claim and did not constitute a criminal finding of guilt against Sanchez Padilla.
