US Marines seize ship from pirates off Somalia

(MANAMA, Bahrain) – US Marines seized a pirate-controlled ship in the Gulf of Aden according to a statement from the Fifth Fleet.

Early Wednesday, pirates captured the German-owned vessel M/V Magellan Star. Crew members locked themselves in a safe compartment of the ship once the pirates had boarded. At 5 a.m. local time, 24 members of the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit's Maritime Raid Force boarded the Magellan Star, capturing all pirates without firing a shot. No injuries to the crew, Marines, or pirates were reported.

Although the US military has taken action to deter pirate attacks, today's event marks the first known occurrence of the US military boarding a pirate-controlled vessel.

The nine pirates are currently in custody of Combined Task Force 151 (CTF 151), a 25-nation task force whose mission is to “deter, disrupt, and suppress piracy” in the region. The Marines are members of Force Reconnaissance, and have trained for counter-pirate operations for several months prior to departing for the theater.

Marine Corps Captain Alexander Martin, a member of the Maritime Raid Force writes that the joint Navy-Marine Corps unit “conducts visit-board-search-seizure (VBSS), kinetic strikes on non-compliant targets, maritime infrastructure seizure and reinforcement, host-nation training, and other maritime raid and interdiction operations as directed.”

“Its execution packages come complete with supporting air, medical and trauma units, sniper teams, shadowing ships, Navy VBSS and ship-control teams, small-boat units, and a direct-action assault unit with an integrated infantry trailer platoon for support,” writes Martin.

The Marines are stationed aboard the USS Dubuque (LPD 8) as part of Combined Task Force 151, one of three such task forces protecting shipping in the area.

(Sept. 9, 2010) Helicopters from USS Dubuque (LPD 8) provide aerial watch as U.S. Marines from the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit’s Maritime Raid Force, embarked on Dubuque, right, boarded and seized control of Antigua and Barbuda-flagged, German-owned vessel M/V Magellan Star, left, early Sept. 9. Pirates attacked and boarded Magellan Star Sept. 8. Dubuque is part of Combined Task Force (CTF) 151, the multinational task force established by Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) to conduct counter-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden and the Somali basin. (U.S. Navy photo by Cryptologic Technician 2nd Class William Farmerie)

 (Filed by Chris Carter/Sept. 9, 2010)