U.S. Department of Justice
Four men were charged on Thursday in connection with the seizure of illegal Iranian weaponry allegedly bound for Yemen’s Houthi militia in a mission last month that left two U.S. Navy SEALs dead, according to the Department of Justice.
The suspected weapons smugglers were taken into custody in Richmond, Virginia, after their unflagged dhow–a sailing vessel that usually sports long, thin hulls– was intercepted by a U.S. Navy Ship in a risky night-time operation.
Detained as material witnesses in the matter were 10 other crew members aboard the vessel, eight of whom similarly made an initial court appearance in Richmond on Thursday.