US Navy: Destroyer followed missing ship packed with pirates off Somali coast last week

US Navy says it located, shadowed hijacked ship

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The U.S. Navy says one of its destroyers had located a hijacked ship loaded with dozens of pirates off the coast of Somalia last week.

The Bahrain-based 5th Fleet said on Monday that the USS McFaul discovered the Panamanian-flagged M/V Iceberg I on May 19 with as many as 50 pirates and more than 20 crew members on board. It says the location of the hijacked ship was previously unknown.

The Navy says the ship’s name had been painted over with the name “Sea Express.” The crew onboard told the destroyer by radio there were heavily armed pirates on the ship.

The McFaul followed the ship for more than a day and a half before the pirates turned back toward the Somali coast.