The guided-missile destroyer USS Winston S. Churchill (DDG 81) seized illicit shipments of weapons and weapons components from two stateless dhows during a maritime security operation in international waters off the coast of Somalia, Feb. 11-12.
The Maritime security operations, conducted by the U.S. 5th Fleet, involves routine patrols to determine the situation in the maritime environment and to boost mariner-to-mariner relations. The naval operations reaffirm allies and partners and preserve freedom of navigation and free flow of commerce.
Churchill’s Visit, Board, Search, and Seizure (VBSS) team and embarked joint service Advanced Interdiction Team (AIT) discovered the illicit cargo during a flag verification boarding conducted in accordance with international law and in international waters.
The seized cache of weapons consisted of thousands of AK-47 assault rifles, light machine guns, heavy sniper rifles, rocket-propelled grenade launchers, and crew served weapons. Other weapon components included barrels, stocks, optical scopes and weapon systems which undoubtedly were destined to be smuggled in Somalia.
The original source of the weapons has not yet been ascertained. Churchill located the dhows and provided more than 40 hours of over watch and security for the ship and its boarding teams throughout the two-day operation.
Assistant AIT leader, Lt. Travis Dopp aboard Churchill noted that the joint operation was a success. He lauded the crew members for executing the operation and interdicting shipments of lethal aid which he noted were to have landed in the wrong hands of terrorists possibly in Somalia.
The seizure of the illicit weapons by Churchill was conducted as part of the U.S. Navy’s regular maritime security operations in the region. These routine patrols are performed to ensure the free flow of commerce for legitimate traffic and to disrupt the transport of illicit cargo that often funds terrorism and unlawful activity.
A short video released by the Navy appeared to show US sailors inspecting one of the intercepted dhows, a traditional ship that commonly sails the waters of the Arabian Gulf region, as helicopters circled overhead. Photographs of the contraband, a sample of the much larger quantity of arms, showed rows of what appeared to be new Kalashnikovs wrapped in plastic and piles of rocket-propelled grenade launchers.
Brief Video/COURTESY US National Guard
