Pirates in Red Sea and Gulf of Aden

Travel by boat through the Red Sea or near the Socotra Islands in the Gulf of Aden presents the risk of pirate attacks.

Since the beginning of 2009, 40 vessels reportedly have been attacked and 23 vessels seized in the area. In some cases, crew members were held for ransom. Following the April 2009 hijacking of a US cargo vessel and the subsequent rescue of the vessel’s captain, resulting in the deaths of three pirates, Somali pirates threatened to retaliate against American citizens transiting the region. The threat of piracy extends into the Indian Ocean off the Horn of Africa.

See the State Department’s Int’l Maritime Piracy Fact Sheet.