Overview
- Sentencing occurred Thursday in federal court in Virginia after Muhammad Pahlawan’s June convictions, though outlets report either a 20-year or a 40-year term.
- U.S. Navy and Coast Guard forces boarded his unflagged dhow off Somalia on Jan. 11, 2024, and seized ballistic and anti-ship missile parts along with a warhead.
- Chief Special Warfare Operator Christopher J. Chambers fell into the water during the night boarding and Special Warfare Operator 1st Class Nathan Gage Ingram attempted a rescue; both drowned.
- An investigation released in October 2024 found the deaths were preventable, citing shortcomings in training, procedures, and guidance on flotation and buoyancy.
- Court records say Pahlawan ordered his crew not to stop, urged them to burn the vessel, and lied about his role, and prosecutors linked him to ship-to-ship transfers coordinated with two Iranian brothers.