Global Security, Privacy, & Risk Management

Somali gets life in prison for hijacking U.S. yacht that left four Americans dead! August 22, 2011

NORFOLK, Va. –  A Somali man was sentenced to life in prison on Monday for his role in the hijacking of yacht off the coast of Africa that left all four Americans on board dead, telling a federal judge that he never meant for anyone to get hurt.

“I’d like to express my regret and sorrow to the victims’ families,” Ali Abdi Mohamed said through an interpreter.

Mohamed is the first of 11 men who have pleaded guilty to piracy in the case to be sentenced. Each of the men face mandatory life sentences, although that could eventually be reduced as part of a plea deal with federal prosecutors. A second Somali was expected to be sentenced later in the day.

The pirates said they intended to bring the Americans back to Somalia so that they could be ransomed, but that plan fell apart when four U.S. Navy warships began shadowing them. The Navy offered to let the pirates take the yacht in exchange for the hostages, but the pirates said they wouldn’t get the kind of money they wanted for it. Hostages are typically ransomed for millions of dollars.

Mohamed told prosecutors he was ordered to fire a rocket propelled grenade at the American warships to keep them away from the Quest. Court documents say that in doing so, he inadvertently killed one of the pirates who was standing too close behind him. Shortly after the RPG was fired, gun fire erupted aboard the yacht.