#BREAKING: An U.S. defense official tells AP the U.S. Navy’s initial investigation found the vessel it interdicted with an illegal weapons shipment in the North Arabian Sea came from #Iran, again tying Tehran to arming Houthis despite a U.N. arms embargo.https://t.co/a5FvJzJxno— Jason Brodsky (@JasonMBrodsky) May 9, 2021
USS Monterey Seizes Illicit Weapons in the North Arabian Sea
08 May 2021
From U.S. 5th Fleet Public Affairs
The guided-missile cruiser USS Monterey (CG 61) seized an illicit shipment of weapons from a stateless dhow in international waters of the North Arabian Sea on May 6-7, 2021.
USS Monterey and its embarked U.S. Coast Guard Advanced Interdiction Team (AIT) discovered the illicit cargo during a routine flag verification boarding conducted in international water in accordance with customary international law.
The cache of weapons included dozens of advanced Russian-made anti-tank guided missiles, thousands of Chinese Type 56 assault rifles, and hundreds of PKM machine guns, sniper rifles and rocket-propelled grenades launchers. Other weapon components included advanced optical sights. The original source and intended destination of the materiel is currently under investigation.
The materiel is in U.S. custody awaiting final disposition.
Assessment of the findings will be an interagency effort.