2 Missing Navy SEALs Declared Dead After 10-Day Search Operation

The vessel that allegedly carried Iranian-made missile components bound for Yemen's Houthis. (U.S. Central Command via AP)

Two U.S. Navy SEALs, who went missing off the coast of Somalia during a mission to board a ship carrying Iranian weapons, have been declared dead following a failed 10-day search operation.

In a statement on Jan. 21, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said the two personnel were reported missing on Jan. 11 after boarding “an illicit dhow carrying Iranian advanced conventional weapons.”

CENTCOM said it ended the search and rescue operation for the two SEALs and initiated recovery operations.

“We regret to announce that after a 10-day exhaustive search, our two missing U.S. Navy SEALs have not been located and their status has been changed to deceased,” it stated.

Airborne and naval platforms from the United States, Japan, and Spain searched more than 21,000 square miles during the 10-day search operation, with assistance from Fleet Numerical Meteorology and Oceanography Center, CENTCOM said.

“We mourn the loss of our two Naval Special Warfare warriors, and we will forever honor their sacrifice and example,” said General Michael Erik Kurilla, commander of CENTCOM.

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“Our prayers are with the SEALs’ families, friends, the U.S. Navy, and the entire Special Operations community during this time,” he added.

The missing personnel were part of a SEAL team who boarded a dhow—a traditional sailing vessel common— in the Arabian Sea on Jan. 11. They operated from USS Lewis B Puller and were supported by helicopters, CENTCOM said.

Iranian-made missile components bound for Yemen's Houthis were seized from a vessel in the Arabian Sea. (U.S. Central Command via AP)

Once aboard the small vessel, the SEAL team reportedly seized suspected Iranian-made ballistic missile and cruise missile components, including propulsion, guidance, and warhead components for medium-range ballistic missiles and anti-ship cruise missiles like those that the Houthis have used in recent attacks targeting commercial shipping.

A U.S. defense official, speaking to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity, said the SEALs were attempting to board the dhow when one of them fell into the rough seas. A second SEAL jumped into the water to attempt a rescue. Both have been reported missing since that incident.

The official said the crew on the dhow, which did not have a country flag, were planning to transfer components for medium-range Iranian ballistic missiles to another boat off the coast of Somalia.

Unrelated to US Retaliatory Strikes Against Houthis

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told CBS News on Jan. 14 that the SEALs’ interdiction mission was not related to U.S. retaliatory strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen.

“This was not related to the strikes in Yemen. This was normal interdiction operations that we’ve been conducting for some time to try to disrupt that flow of weapons supplies to Yemen,” he said.

U.S. and British naval forces struck multiple Houthi targets across Yemen on Jan. 11. At least five of the group’s members were killed by the strikes, according to a Houthi spokesman.

President Joe Biden has said the “targeted strikes” on Houthi targets was a “clear message” that the United States and its partners would not allow “hostile actors to imperil freedom of navigation.”

“These strikes are in direct response to unprecedented Houthi attacks against international maritime vessels in the Red Sea, including the use of anti-ship ballistic missiles for the first time in history,” the president said in a statement on Jan. 11.

The Houthis, also known as Ansar Allah, are a Zaydi Shiite movement that has intermittently fought with Yemen’s internationally recognized government since 2004.

While the Yemeni conflict has waned in recent months with moves toward a ceasefire in the country, the Houthis have turned their attention to the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, launching missile and drone attacks intended to hinder the Israeli side.

Ryan Morgan and the Associated Press contributed to this report.