Missing Navy SEALs now presumed dead after mission to confiscate Iranian-made weapons

The 10-day search for two U.S. Navy Seals who went missing off the coast of Somalia after falling into the water during a nighttime boarding mission has ended and the sailors are now presumed dead, U.S. Central Command announced Sunday.

"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," Central Command said in a statement Sunday. "Out of respect for the families, no further information will be released at this time."

The search, the Central Command added, has been changed to a recovery operation.

The two SEALs, who were not identified, were on an interdiction mission on January 11 when one of them fell off a ship after high waves hit the vessel, prompting the other SEAL to go after him to attempt a rescue, according to officials.

During the search operation, the Command Center said ships and aircraft from the United States, Japan, and Spain continuously searched more than 21,000 square miles. Search assistance was also provided by the Fleet Numerical Meteorology and Oceanography Center, the U.S. Coast Guard Atlantic Area Command, University of San Diego – Scripts Institute of Oceanography, and the Office of Naval Research.

"We mourn the loss of our two Naval Special Warfare warriors, and we will forever honor their sacrifice and example," Gen. Erik Kurilla, head of U.S. Central Command, said in a statement. "Our prayers are with the SEALs’ families, friends, the U.S. Navy and the entire Special Operations community during this time."

January 11 mission targeted 'illicit dhow'

The incident came amid coordinated U.S. and British bombings of Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. The strikes were in retaliation for weeks of Houthi attacks against commercial vessels in the Red Sea, which the Houthis have said are a response to Israel’s invasion of Gaza.

According to officials, the Jan. 11 raid targeted "an illicit dhow carrying Iranian advanced conventional weapons" to the Houthi rebels in Yemen. Dhows are small sailing vessels often seen in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean region and are sometimes used to smuggle weapons.

The Central Command said an array of Iranian-made weaponry, including cruise and ballistic missile components such as propulsion and guidance devices and warheads, as well as air defense parts, were seized during the raid. The mission was the latest seizure by the U.S. Navy and its allies of weapon shipments sent for the rebels.

The U.S. Navy then sunk the vessel carrying the weapons after it was deemed unsafe, Central Command said. The ship’s 14 crew were detained.

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Contributing: Kim Hjelmgaard, Tom Vanden Brook, and Sarah Al-Arshani, USA TODAY; The Associated Press