Somali Pirate Leader and Guard Get Life Prison Sentence for US Yacht Hijacking Leaving 4 Dead

Another Somali pirate leader and armed guard were sentenced to life in prison by a U.S. judge in the case of a February incident where four Americans aboard a yacht were shot to death after being taken hostage near Oman.

Although piracy has plagued the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden recently, these were the first Americans killed by pirate hands.

This is the fifth and sixth trial of a total of eleven men who have pleaded guilty to piracy in this case. Although the death penalty is possible with this charge, lesser sentences are being given for plea deals and details on how piracy operations work in Somalia, as well as help in pursuing charges against others.

It is still unclear why the shooting started, but a rocket propelled grenade was fired at one of the U.S. Ships assisting in aid. The hostages’ lives were initially threatened in an effort to get the Navy to go away. Unfortunately, the victim’s lives were unable to be saved, but military helped in stopping further violence once boarding the yacht.