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Beached at Chittagong 20.05.25 https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=122149063256471366&set=pcb.10164779583188943

On June 3, 2025, Iranian Soheil Jelveh, 51, a retired marine engineer who was captain of the 'Matthew' while it was carrying more than 2.2 tonnes of cocaine claimed that he feared for his life and his family if he did not follow instructions, a court has heard. He said there was an element of fear on board the vessel, and admitted he was aware that the consignment on the ship was not “spare parts”.He said that he was captain in name but he had to follow orders like everyone else. The non-jury Special Criminal Court in Dublin was told that he was in fear of being killed and that his family, who were in Dubai, would also be killed and that a number of the crew were hired by a transnational organised crime group for the operation. Jelveh is one of seven men charged with offences arising from the seizure of 2.25 tonnes of cocaine with an estimated value of more than €157 million, which was on board the ship. Ukrainians Mykhailo Gavryk, and Vitaliy Vlasoi, both 32; Iranians Jelveh and Saeid Hassani, 39; Filipino Harold Estoesta, 31, and Dutch national Cumali Ozgen, 49, all pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine for sale or supply on board the 'Mathew' between Sep 24 and Sep 26, 2023. The Ukrainian national Vitaliy Lapa, aged 62, with an address at Rudenka, Repina Str in Berdyansk, pleaded guilty to attempting to possess cocaine for sale or supply between Sep 21 and Sep 25, 2023. Jamie Harbron, aged 31, of South Avenue, Billingham in the UK, also pleaded guilty that on a date between September 21st and Sep 25, 2023, both dates inclusive, he attempted to have cocaine in his possession for the purpose of sale or supply, an offence under the Misuse of Drugs Act. Detective Superintendent Keith Halley told the court in Dublin that messages sent to crew members of the MV Matthew told them to consider moving the bags containing drugs on to a lifeboat and then release it into the sea as Irish authorities got closer to the vessel. Ozgen, who was described in court by his barrister Brendan Grehan as having a lack of sea experience, was to go into the lifeboat with 22 tonnes of drugs in “one of the worst storms”. Six men who were arrested on board ignored instructions from the patrol vessel 'LE William Butler Yeats' a number of times. Detective Halley, who was a Revenue Customs liaison for Irish police, gave evidence that the authorities received information about a fishing trawler being used to import drugs, which led to the formation of a joint task force between gardai, the Revenue Customs Service and the Irish Naval Service. Jelveh, a father of two, claimed he felt violated by people in the “head office” who were not present on the vessel, and that there was a threat over him that was not there in relation to his co-accused. Jelveh qualified as a maritime engineer in 1997 and worked as a marine engineer until 2008 and moved through the ranks to became first deck officer. He became captain in 2019. He had since retired and was working as a football coach. Prosecution barrister John Berry SC told the court that the crew had attempted to set the drugs on fire as they attempted to flee Irish authorities and head into the high seas. Messages discovered in a WhatsApp group, called The Deck Officers, revealed how the crew was instructed to be ready to burn the cargo and head towards Sierra Leone if a helicopter tried to intercept the ship. The crew were told to make sure everything was burnt and to use paint thinner to set the cargo alight. They were also ordered by people not on board the vessel not to communicate with Irish authorities. The crew had been ordered by authorities to steer the vessel towards the Irish coast and dock at Cork. The court heard that they were willing to comply with the instructions, however, they were going full steam ahead to the high seas and were planning on travelling to Sierra Leone. The crew had been making efforts to deter the arrival of the Army Ranger Wing to allow for the removal of the drugs. Footage and photographs shown to the court revealed there was smoke coming from the lifeboat after an attempt was made to set the drugs alight. Cans of paint, used to set it on fire, were also found on the life raft. Detective Halley told the court that the people instructing the crew had “immense capabilities, unlimited resources and a global reach”. It became apparent through the message groups that those who were controlling the vessel and sending instructions on what to do were based in Dubai. They had sent messages instructing the crew to keep going, including reassuring messages like “just relax and this will all be over soon”. They also gave the wrong information that Irish authorities could not board the vessel. The sentence hearing is taking place before Ms Justice Melanie Grealy Judge Sarah Berkeley and Judge Grainne Malone. The sentencing hearing continued on June 4.

On the evening of June 2, 2025, a chemical accident occurred aboard the 'Gerda Maria', which was berthed in Bremerhaven's fishing port. Ammonia leaked from the trawler. No one was injured. At around 7:10 p.m., witnesses reported to the water police that a strong odor of ammonia was emanating from a vessel. Emergency services discovered a leak in a facility. Up to 100 liters of the toxic chemical had leaked into a room. The Bremerhaven Fire Department wason scene with several vehicles. Together with the water police, they initiated safety measures. The area around the ship was cordoned off. The hazardous materials team took pollutant measurements. There was no acute environmental hazard. A special team from the Netherlands was expected on Jund 3 in order to locate the leak and permanently seal it.

The Pentagon is planning to strip the name 'HArvey Milk' that honors the gay rights icon. and could expand the purge to include other vessels recognizing prominent civil rights figures, defense officials said on June 2, 2025, the latest move by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to impose the Trump administration’s will on America’s culture wars. The renaming news was slated to become public June 13. A new name for the 'Harvey Milk' was not given but Hegseth and Phelan are planning to announce the new name aboard the USS 'Constitution', the oldest commissioned Navy ship. Deliberations were ongoing after a recent order by Hegseth to Navy Secretary John Phelan, with the decision to be announced as soon as mid-June, to coincide with Pride Month, which President Donald Trump has rejected celebrating. It was unclear when — or even if — any other Navy vessels honoring civil rights figures could see their titles changed. Sean Parnell, a spokesman for Hegseth, released a statement acknowledging that a review is underway that could result in the renaming of Defense Department installations and resources. Among them were the USNS 'Thurgood Marshall', USNS 'Ruth Bader Ginsburg', USNS 'Harriet Tubman', USNS 'Dolores Huerta', USNS 'Lucy Stone', USNS 'Cesar Chavez' and USNS 'Medgar Evers'. A web article from the Naval Sea Systems Command from Dec 2024 about the laying of the keel for the future USNS 'Thurgood Marshall' has been deleted. The reported decision by the Trump Administration to change the names of the USNS Harvey Milk and other ships in the John Lewis-class is a shameful, vindictive erasure of those who fought to break down barriers for all to chase the American Dream," Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi told in a statement. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries stated that the move was "an utter abomination in terms of the extreme MAGA Republican effort to continue to erase American history, and we're not going to allow it to happen." Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said that Hegseth "should be ashamed of himself and reverse this immediately." Milk became one of the first openly gay elected officials in U.S. history during the 1970s, making him an icon of the nascent gay civil rights movement, and was killed while serving on the board of supervisors in San Francisco. Milk came from a family that had a history of naval service and he was commissioned as an officer in 1951. Milk then served as a diving officer on the submarine rescue ship USS 'Kittiwake' during the Korean War. He left the service as a lieutenant junior grade in 1955 with a "less than honorable" discharge "after being officially questioned about his sexual orientation," according to his official biography. Milk then went on to run for political office in California, winning a seat on the San Francisco board of supervisors in 1977. He was killed in office in 1978 shortly after passing a bill banning housing and employment discrimination based on sexual orientation. His death transformed Milk into an icon in San Francisco and a martyr in the LGBTQ community. He was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009. The USNS 'Harvey Milk' is currently completing maintenance and refit work at a shipyard in Alabama that is expected to wrap up by the end of June.

On May 28, 2025, at 03.30 a.m. the 'KMTC Singapore' was boarded by two perpetrators, at the Ho Chi Minh I-19 Anchorage in pos. 10° 13.1' N 107°0.7' E. No injuries were reported. The pirates stole unsecured items.

On May 27, 2025, at 1.40 a.m. the 'Strandja' was boarded by four perpetrators, armed with guns and knives, about 1,5 nautical miles off Pulau Cula, in pos. 01° 3.5' N 103° 41.7' E. One crew member suffered a minor head injury, and nothing was reported stolen.

The NTSB concluded in its accident report, that the sinkingf of the 'Baylor J. Tregre' off the Louisiana coast on May 13, 2024 was due to the vessel being overwhelmed during a sudden, severe storm. While the crew of the tug was unable to maneuver in an attempt to save the vessel due to overwhelming towline force, the report also highlighted the lack of an emergency release and some issues with the vessel that might have accelerated its loss. The tug was towing a 260-foot long barge loaded with a production platform and helideck bound for an offshore site. They had departed Houma, Louisiana, but due to the height of the platform were required to sail offshore instead of the Gulf Intercoastal Waterway. At midday on May 13 the vessel was approximately 60 miles from its destination. The weather was good with 3 to 4-foot seas and wind of 9 to 13 knots. The crew had checked weather reports and was receiving information from its shoreside office. They had a report of possible thunderstorms. The tug was sailing at a speed of 4 to 5 knots. The mate was navigating when he observed a storm forming and made changes to the course but the line of thunderstorms appeared to shift to a circle and the wind began to intensify at a very quick rate. It was possibly hailing but they never determined if a waterspout had formed. The captain and mate later estimated for investigators that the winds could have been 74 to 87 knots. The vessel was losing speed and started to heel. The mate was attempting to reposition the tug, but as the situation quickly deteriorated, the vessel was heeling at 45 degrees. They had lost sight of the barge in the storm, but it had moved alongside the tug, with the crew later reporting the line was taught “like a banjo string.” The captain ordered the mate to turn the barge loose. He attempted but reported to the captain it was impossible. The NTSB highlighted in its report that the vessel did not have an emergency release and none is required under the regulations. Even if the mate had been able to reach the controls in the doghouse, it required the winch engine to be running, which it was not. The captain was attempting to change the heading but by then the port quarter of the towboat was underwater. They believed the starboard rudder and propeller were out of the water. They issued a distress call and moments later the vessel lost electrical power and the engines stopped running. Seas were now six to seven feet high. The crew had to climb out of the tilted wheelhouse, and one deckhand fell into the water. The others had to follow as the vessel sank. The self-deploying liferaft worked, and they were eventually able to make it to the raft. The emergency beacon was also located and the Coast Guard was able to rescue the four crewmembers, although one suffered minor injuries. When the wreck was recovered, the NTSB reported that some of the fiddley blowers on the 2nd deck were missing and might have contributed to the flooding. Also, some of the sealing gaskets were found deteriorated on the exterior doors. The casualty, which resulted in $2 million in damages, they attributed to the overwhelming towline forces during the storm and the inability to complete an emergency release of the barge. The heeling became unrecoverable for the vessel.

arrived Bhavnagar Anchorage 04.06.25

A major search operation was underway on the morning of June 1, 2025, off Piteå after the 'Ron Jeremy' sank. One person was missing. After several hours of searching, the sea rescue operation was ended in the morning. At 04.49 a.m., the Swedish Maritime Administration's JRCC received an alarm from the tug that it was sinking south of the Rödkallen lighthouse at the height of Piteå. Four people were on board the vessel, that was towing a timber barge. The four crew members, who consisted of two men in their 30s from Kalmar and a man in his 40s from Stockholm, and a Latvian man in his 25s, decided to get to the barge together.Three of them managed to get out of the water and onto the barge that was being towed. From there they were able to call JRCC via 112. The Latvian engineer in his 25s disappeared in the water. The 'Rescue Albert Isakson' with four volunteers on board reached the scene after the tug had already sunk. After a few attempts, a good point was found to get the castaways on board. They were hypothermic, and after they had taken off their wet clothes, they were provided with blankets and water and then transported to waiting ambulances. All three, two men in their 30s and one man in his 40s, had suffered minor injuries, but were able to leave the hospital later in the day. After the lifeboat had dropped them off, it returned to the accident site to participate in the search for the fourth, missing crew member. The SAR oepration was carried out with the help of the patrol boat 'KBV 306' from the Swedish Coast Guard, the Swedish Maritime Rescue Society's 'Rescue Leif Johansson' from the station in Luleå and the 'Rescue Albert Isaksson' from the station in Piteå, two pilot boats from the Swedish Maritime Administration, which also had a helicopter in the air. The Coast Guard's aircraft also joined the search, as did a Finnish helicopter. Although the search conditions were good at the scene and the area where the person could be was limited, the search operation ended at 10.27 a.m. there were no signs of a major oil leak at the scene. The tug remained stuck to the barge. Thd Coastguard was on site and assisted the police divers. Its own divers wee also on their way to check the hull for leaks. The incident was being handled as a workplace accident by the police. A missing person report has been filed and the cause of the accidenwas t is being investigated When the lSAr operation was completed, the Coast Guard initiated an environmental response, as diesel had started leaking from the tanks. The Coast Guard aircraft searched for oil from the air, and the 'KBV 306' was on scene. The crew of the aircraft saw small streaks of oil. The Coast Guard and the Police are having a joint diving operation to seal the vent to the fuel tanks. The collaboration prevented a major release. The police are now conducting a criminal investigation and a workplace accident investigation into what caused the accident and started questioning the survivors. Reports with photos: https://www.sjofartstidningen.se/bogserbat-har-sjunkit-en-person-saknas/?fbclid=IwQ0xDSwKpoVljbGNrAqmhUGV4dG4DYWVtAjExAAEe6kSKbSEgdheCFlcAVMrv_9Jf33OnlXsf7mGonOGNdtIu-Cga-g01lxgpYQ8_aem_ANj_MR5r6vwwzPLAVPoTSg https://www.svt.se/nyheter/lokalt/norrbotten/bogserbat-har-sjunkit?fbclid=IwQ0xDSwKpoZBleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHsBhXqt6nMczfYv1E4JYb4xNu91fMWQMqZ_6g1Q8cdXBv-bHJFBZyW6cnU_n_aem_Fd48AtrMkLeYj6Qrd2dpdw https://www.sjoraddning.se/larm/bogserbat-sjonk https://www.pt.se/nyheter/pitea/artikel/haverikommissionen-utreder-olyckan-tragiskt-for-rederiet/jo8qem8l

On the early morning of June 3, 2025, a technical defect in the switchboard in the engine room of the 'MSC Orchestra' caused smoke development and a power outage for approximately one to two hours. The safety systems in the immediate vicinity were able to contain the disruption. Other areas of the ship, including guest areas, were not affected. No injuries were reported. The ship's passengers were immediately informed of the situation, and it was communicated via loudspeaker that the ship was in a safe position. There was, however, no oppen fire. After the situation was brought under control, the 'MSC Orchestra' was able to continue its voyage, but arrived in Genoa ten hours late. Although the technical problem has been resolved, boarding in Genoa and Marseille was canceled to allow further inspections for possible defects and repairs. The current cruise has been canceled. Guests have been contacted, support was being provided, and appropriate refunds were to be issued to affected passengers.

On June 4. 2025, at 3.40 a.m. a fire broke out aboard the 'Iceberg' about 250 miles south of Vladivostok (June 3, 8:40 p.m. GMT). The crew of 17 Russian nationals abandoned the ship on two rafts. The reefer 'Ostrov Iony', which had received the mayday signal, approached the position and rescued the castaways. They were in good health and did not require medical assistance. The reefer was en route to Busan. The 'Iceberg'’s owner was requested to tow the distressed ship to a port.

On May 27, 2025, at 8.15 p.m. the 'Silver Lake' was boarded by an unknown number of perpetrators, at the Phu My Anchorage I-18, in pos. 10° 12.72' N 107°0.36' E. No injuries were reported. The pirates stole ship's properties and stores.

On June 3, 2025, at 4.35 a.m. the 'Successor' was boarded by six perpetrators, armed with knives, about nine nautical miles off Pulau Cula, in pos. 01° 5.09' N 103° 34.05' E. No injuries were reported, and nothing was reported stolen.

A transcript reveals moments of terror, panic and uncertainty aboard the 'Dali' before and after it allided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge. The transcript of audio recordings is part of the National Transportation Safety Board’s investigation into the aaident and shows that most of the conversations on board the 'DaliÄ were mundane prior to the ship losing power. The conversations included talks about the ship’s journey and even a coffee order. Early in the morning of March 26, 2024, it was business as usual. As the ship was still alongside Seagirt Marine Terminal, the ship's crew on the bridge was "having casual conversation." Around midnight, the 'Dali' began departure preparations. Pilots boarded the vessel at approximately 00:05 a.m., and standard checks were conducted: draft verification, engine blow-through, tug arrangements, and telegraph tests. Two tugs, the 'Eric McAllister' and 'Bridget McAllister', were positioned forward and aft respectively. At 00:16:02, the pilot asked the Master, “Captain, everything’s working?” to which the Master replied, “Yeah, everything is in order.” That reassurance came despite the earlier alarms and incident report request just hours before. The conversation between the Pilot and the Training pilot was ordinary. They were talking about where the training pilot lived and when they started the job. The Pilot mentioned he had stepped on a staple at home. There was conversation about people wanting sugar in coffee. At 00:34:26 a.m., the pilot told the training pilot that the voyage was “pretty straightforward” and remarked that the Portable Pilot Unit (PPU) “really makes it a lot easier,” especially for wider ships. At around 1:25 a.m. the vessel’s power cut off about 0.6 miles from the Key Bridge. At exactly 1:25:03, a.m. the ship’s alarms sounded. The 2nd Officer attempted to call the engine room, but received no response. At 01:28:16, a.m. he reported a critical loss: “We do not have bow thruster.” According to the transcript, the pilot asked the 2nd officer on board: “Do we have steering?” The second officer replied: “We have steering.” But the alarms kept going off and began to change in tone. The Training Pilot then said, "uh oh." Over the next minute, there was chaos on the cargo ship as crew members and the Pilots worked to respond to the loss of power. At 1:26:01 a.m., the Training Pilot said, "Security call. Security call. Container ship Dali has lost power. Approaching the Key Bridge - I repeat - the container ship Dali has lost all power approaching the Key Bridge - Dali." At around 1:27 a.m., the pilot shouted for the crew to use the “bow thrusters.” While the crew tried, at 1:28:56 a.m., the second officer shouted, “It’s not working.” Shortly after 01:27:00, the pilots issued calls for tug assistance and to drop anchor, and the bridge was ordered closed to traffic. Tragically, six road workers remained on the span. The 'Dali' struck the bridge’s pier 17 at 01:29:10, a.m. collapsing six bridge spans. The audio recording picked up an "enormous rumble, when the Dali hit the Key Bridge. The training pilot radioed the Coast Guard at 01:29:37, stating, “Coast Guard. Coast Guard. This is Dali. We have a major problem. The Key Bridge is down. I repeat, the Key Bridge is down.”The transcript notes all the crew members began shouting expletives before the pilot yelled, “Call the Coast Guard.” At 1:29:37 a.m., the training pilot on board the 'Dali' radioed a message, saying: “We have a major problem. The Key Bridge is down. I repeat, the Key Bridge is down." The post-collision recording captured confusion on the bridge amid blaring alarms in the minutes that followed. The Coast Guard inquired about the vessel’s position; the plot responded that they were “under the Francis Scott Key Bridge. The crew and pilots discussed the potential for casualties on the bridge and damage to the vessel. At one point, the Master was heard stating over the phone that water was running into the vessel and containers had broken loose, but that there was “no oil sheen” visible. The final alarm ceased at 02:25 a.m. In the minutes after the bridge collapsed, the pilots on the ship were trying to figure out what went wrong. "I called [the pilot dispatcher] when we started to drift," the pilot said. "But we had good speed," he added. "We weren't going crazy... everything was under control." As for the crew members on board the 'Dali', some — including the ship’s captain and other officers — remain in Baltimore as legal cases progress.

The 'MSC Elsa 3' is believed to have sunk off the coast of Kochi due to a ballast system failure, according to Shyam Jagannathan, India's Director General of Shipping. He denied earlier rumours of sabotage. The ship started listing at 26 degrees en route from Vizhinjam to Kochi, and sank the next day. The cause must have been a ballast system failure, according to Ajith Sukumaran, Chief Inspector of the Indian government. There was no evidence of other reasons. The ballast system failure could have been due to a lack of operational insight. When the ship listed, there was a complete power failure due to a failure in the internal power supply. This rendered virtually all operational activities of the ship unusable. Of the about 100 containers, which drifted away afterthe sinking, about 50 have meanwhile washed up along the coast. Most of the containers were empty, but 13 were carrying hazardous materials: 12 containing calcium carbide and one containing chemical antioxidants for rubber. Five of the calcium carbide containers were lashed on the deck and probably ended up on the seabed, while seven remained in the cargo holds. Calcium carbide is stored in 200-litre drums. The risk of it reacting with seawater was considered low. A salvage team of 108 people from the US-based T&T Salvage, appointed by MSC, has started cleaning up the coast. Their focus was on recovering floating containers and clearing the affected coastlines. Once the cleanup is complete, the team will begin extracting oil from the ship’s bunker tanks. The Coast Guard was able to contain a small oil spill. The removal of the bunker oil is scheduled for early July. Director General Jagannathan stressed that all sunken containers and the ship will be salvaged: "The owner is legally obliged to remove the wreck under international treaties.” The government of India’s Kerala state has classified the wreck as a “state-specific disaster” due to its potential environmental and economic impact. The DG Shipping will soon conduct comprehensive seabed mapping using a multi-beam survey system to locate missing containers and the sunken vessel. The operation is also aimed at mitigating marine ecological risks stemming from the incident. The cost of the recovery will be borne by the vessel’s owner, the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), which has appointed US-based firm T&T Salvage to carry out container recovery, oil removal, and pollution control measures. T&T Salvage is assembling a team of divers, including saturation divers from South Africa, to aid the underwater retrieval of containers. The 'Water Lily', an emergency tow vessel, is currently being equipped with a multi-beam survey system for detailed seabed mapping. In addition, the vessel 'Seamac III' will assist in diving operations. A committee comprising all stakeholders has been formed, and regular meetings are being held to monitor progress. The Indian Coast Guard (ICG), designated as the on-scene commander, has been conducting daily aerial reconnaissance and applying oil dispersants to manage the environmental impact.

On the afternoon of June 3, prosecutors decided to cordon off the area around the sunken 'Ron Jeremy'. The cordon applied both above and below the water surface. The Coast Guard's patrol vessel 'KBV 181' was at the scene. Additional resources could be added as needed.The wreck is located at a water depth of almost 40 meters. The Coast Guard was working to stop a diesel spill. A collaboration was taking place with the Police Authority, on and below the surface. Divers from the Coast Guard and the Police are working together to seal the parts of the ship where diesel was leaking. There were approximately 5,000 liters of diesel on board the tig , of which a smaller amount has leaked into the water. There was currently no indication that the oil will reach land. At the same time the dovers searched for the crew member who was still missing. The Swedish Maritime Accident Investigation Board was investigating the accident. It is the shipping company's second accident since 2024 that the Swedish Maritime Accident Investigation Board had to deal with, but Per Jakobsson Per Jakobsson , the head of the investigation, saw no connection.

The new shipping company Alma Cruceros lost its only ship just two weeks after launching operations and canceled all departures. The luxury cruise operator ran into financial difficulties due to outstanding creditors' claims. The 'Ocean Victory' was detained in Málaga after its rrival on May 11, 2025, and left the port on May 26, scheduled to be auctioned in Gibraltar, where it dropped anchor on May 27 in pos. 36° 07' N 005° 18' W. The shipping company's debut took place on April 18 with a first voyage from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria to Málaga. As early as May 9, the company informed travel agencies of the cancellation of the next departure, scheduled for May 11. The 'Ocean Victory' remained berthed in port since arriving in Málaga. On May 20, the ship was finally seized by the authorities. The reason for this is an outstanding claim by the port agent Lantimar Group, which has filed a lawsuit with the court. The court set a bail, which Alma Cruceros failed to post. As a result, the ship was ordered to set course for Gibraltar. It will now be auctioned there to meet the creditors' claims. Alma Cruceros was positioned as a premium brand and belonged to the Premium group of companies owned by Elisardo Sánchez, who previously worked in the hotel industry. Sánchez offered only brief comments on the ongoing proceedings. They said they were working on a solution and would provide information soon. It is currently unclear whether the company will still be able to realize its plans for the cruise market. Since the foreclosure auction, there have been no new public statements regarding future strategy or possible replacement ships.

On May 30, 2025, at 10.46 p.m. the 'Powan' was boarded by three unarmed perpetrators off Jakarta in pos. 5°52.6' N 106°48.4' E. No injuries were reported. The pirates stole engine spares.

On May 28, 2025, at 1.57 a.m. the 'Mount Aso' was boarded by seven perpetrators, armed with knives, at the Chittagon inner anchorage "Bravo', in pos. 22° 15.3' N 91°43.0' E. No injuries were reported. The pirates stole unsecured items.

The 'Diligence (WMEC 616)' returned to its home port in Pensacola on May 21, 2025, following a 61-day patrol in the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, where the crew conducted counter-drug operations and fisheries boardings to enforce U.S. federal law at sea and protect America’s maritime boundary. The 'Diligence' was deployed in support of Joint Interagency Task Force – South (JIATF-S) while underway in the Seventh Coast Guard District’s area of responsibility. The crew worked closely with international and interagency partners to disrupt drug trafficking ventures in the Caribbean Sea and interdicted two separate drug-smuggling vessels, suspected of drug trafficking, and provided logistical support to partners for several additional interdictions. On April 12, the 'Diligence' had interdicted a vessel suspected of drug smuggling. After a pursuit and use of disabling fire, crew members gained control of the go-fast style vessel. After retrieving 28 bales of jettisoned marijuana, the crew of Diligence seized approximately 1,660 pounds of marijuana in total and apprehended the three suspected smugglers on board. On April 23, a military patrol aircraft located a disabled sailing vessel approximately 170 miles off Colombia. The 'Diligence' boarded the vessel and seized approximately 40 pounds of cocaine. During the patrol, the 'Diligence' worked with the Dutch patrol vessel HNLMS 'Groningen (P 843)', U.S. Navy assets, Tactical Law Enforcement Team – Pacific (PACTACLET), and the Coast Guard Cutters 'Campbell (WMEC 909)', 'Venturous (WMEC 625)' and 'John Patterson (WPC 1153)'. While underway in the8 th Coast Guard District’s area of responsibility, the crew conducted fisheries enforcement missions while underway in the Gulf of Mexico. While patrolling near the maritime boundary line near Mexico, law enforcement teams conducted five boardings of U.S. commercial fishing vessels. These inspections ensured compliance with federal safety standards and fishery management regulations, supporting the Coast Guard’s mission to promote safe and sustainable fishing practices.