SYQuest incident
Part ofPiracy in Somalia,Operation Ocean Shield,Operation Enduring Freedom – Horn of Africa
Date 4–22 February 2011 Location Oman,Indian Ocean Result American victory Yacht recaptured Capture and arrest of pirates Hostages killed by pirates
Belligerents
United States	Somali pirates
Commanders and leaders
Dee Mewbourne	Mohamud Salad Ali[1]
Strength
1supercarrier 1cruiser 2destroyers	1yacht
Casualties and losses
None	4 killed 15 captured 1 yacht captured
Civilian casualties: 4 killed

TheSYQuest incident^[2] occurred in February 2011 whenSomali pirates seized theAmericanyacht SYQuest (s/vQuest) and four United States citizens. TheUnited States Navy ordered theaircraft carrierUSSEnterprise and three other ships to free the hostages. All four hostages were shot by their captors.

The SYQuest was the first U.S. vessel captured by Somali pirates since theMaersk Alabama in 2009.^[3]

According to American reports, the SYQuest was captured on 18 February 2011 at 13.23 UTC by nineteen pirates in amothership, 190 to 240 miles off the coast ofOman around18°00′N61°02′E / 18.000°N 61.033°E /18.000; 61.033 in theIndian Ocean.^[3][4] Pirates then tried sailing the SYQuest towardsPuntland. Sometime thereafter USSEnterprise, theguided missile cruiserUSSLeyte Gulf and theguided missile destroyersUSSSterett andUSSBulkeley were sent to the area; they arrived several days later on or about 21 February.Captain Dee Mewbourne, of theEnterprise, and Navigator Christopher Saindon opened negotiations with the pirates, at which time two Somalis went aboard theSterett. As negotiations continued the following morning, 22 February, a pirate aboard the SYQuest fired arocket-propelled grenade at theSterett from 600 yards away but it missed. Almost immediately afterward, gunfire was heard aboard the yacht, so a boarding party was sent in on a raft and they boarded the SYQuest. In a brief skirmish that followed, two pirates were killed, one by rifle fire and the other by a combat knife. Thirteen pirates surrendered and were taken into custody.

Navy officials said all four hostages were shot by their captors: Phyllis Macay and Robert Riggle, ofSeattle, Washington, and the SYQuest's owners, Jean and Scott Adam ofMarina del Rey, California.^[3][5]

The bodies of two other pirates were also found aboard the SYQuest though United States Navy officials had no explanation for their deaths. A few days later,Vice AdmiralMark I. Fox, said the Americans had no intention of attacking but were obligated after hearing small-arms fire.^{[citation needed]}

The pirate leader Mohamud, in Somalia, claimed that the hostages were killed because the American warships started to attack and he toldReuters that "we ordered our comrades to kill the four Americans before they got killed." The leader Farah, inBayla, Puntland, told Reuters, "I lost the money I invested and my comrades. No forgiveness for the Americans. Revenge. Our business will go on". He said he had spent$110,000 on food, weapons, and salaries for the hijacking.^{[citation needed]}

Thirteen of the pirates were found to be Somalis and the other aYemeni; they were sent toNorfolk, Virginia to face charges of piracy and kidnapping.^[3][6]

On 8 July 2013 Ahmed Muse Salad, a/k/a "Afmagalo", 27, Abukar Osman Beyle, 33, and Shani Nurani Shiekh Abrar, 31–those who actually killed the 4 hostages–were found guilty of piracy, murder within theSpecial Maritime and Territorial Jurisdiction of the United States, violence against maritime navigation, conspiracy to commit violence against maritime navigation resulting in death, kidnapping resulting in death, conspiracy to commit kidnapping, hostage taking resulting in death, conspiracy to commit hostage taking resulting in death and multiple firearms offenses.^[7] All three were sentenced in November 2013 and all received 21 life sentences, 19 consecutive life sentences and 2 concurrent life sentences, and 30 years consecutive.^[7]

According to U.S. federal law, committing an act of piracy resulting in death has a mandatory life sentence.^[8]

14 men were prosecuted in theUnited States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia for taking part in seizing ofQuest. Federal prosecutors sought the death penalty for Ahmed Muse Salad, Abukar Osman Beyle, and Shani Nurani Abrar, however, they were sentenced to life in prison. Mohammed Saaili Shibin who acted as a negotiator between the pirates and U.S. forces was also sentenced to life imprisonment. All the defendants names, BOP Numbers, sentences and places of incarceration are listed below:

• List of ships attacked by Somali pirates in 2011

• Welcome to s/v Quest Adventure Log (Archive)

10. "Hunter Killer". Novel by Lt-Col McCurley and Kevin Maurer

• Conflicts in 2011
• Anti-piracy battles involving the United States
• Piracy in Somalia
• February 2011 in Somalia
• Naval battles of Operation Enduring Freedom
• Combat incidents
• February 2011 in Africa
• 21st-century naval battles

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