U.S. charges pirates in killing of four hostages on yacht

Thirteen Somalis and one Yemeni have been brought to the United States to face charges in the seizure of a yacht with two American couples aboard who were later killed off the coast of Somalia, U.S. officials said on Thursday.

The accused pirates were charged with piracy, conspiracy to commit kidnapping and use of firearms during a crime involving last month's hostage-taking in which four Americans were kidnapped for ransom, according to court documents.

The defendants were not charged with murder, but a U.S. Justice Department official said more charges could be brought later.

US Indicts 14 in Piracy Killings Aboard Yacht

Fourteen men accused of seizing a yacht and killing its American crew last month in the Arabian Sea were indicted Thursday by a grand jury in Norfolk, Va., on piracy and kidnapping charges. If convicted of piracy, the men face a mandatory life sentence.

The 14 men–13 Somalis and one Yemeni–were captured by U.S. Navy Seals who stormed the 58-foot Quest four days after it was hijacked while sailing from India toward Oman. Navy officers were negotiating for the release of the American sailors, but the four were killed before the assault force could storm the ship.