The pirates were arrested off the coast of Somalia earlier this year after they attacked what they thought to be a merchant vessel, but what turned out to be a U.S. Navy frigate. The frigate, the USS Nicholas, was part of a counter-piracy operation in the region.
“Modern-day pirates not only threaten human lives but also disrupt international commerce by extorting hundreds of millions of dollars in ransom payments,” said U.S. Attorney MacBride in a statement on Wednesday.
According to the Department of Justice the men used “a larger ship full of supplies, along with two smaller vessels loaded with assault weapons, and a rocket propelled grenade that served as attack boat.” The men will be sentenced in March next year, they face mandatory life terms.
Source: theepochtimes.com