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

James Vicini - 

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.

The group seized the yacht and were negotiating with the U.S. military to release the couples when a pirate fired a rocket-propelled grenade at the guided-missile destroyer USS Sterett.

Gunfire then broke out inside the pirated vessel, prompting the U.S. military to send American special forces to board the vessel. The U.S. military has said the pirates shot the hostages before American troops boarded the yacht.

U.S. troops killed two pirates as they boarded the boat. Another two were found dead when special forces arrived but they were not killed by U.S. forces, the military has said.

The American victims were Jean and Scott Adam of California and Phyllis Macay and Bob Riggle from Seattle.

According to the indictment filed in federal court in Norfolk, Virginia, at least three defendants intentionally shot and killed the Americans without provocation before they could be rescued by the U.S. military.

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