Navy Seizes 50 Tons Of Suspected Lethal Aid For Houthi Rebels In Yemen

The U.S. Naval Forces Central Command says one of its vessels has made a major arms bust in the Gulf of Oman, reports the Stars and Stripes.

On Dec. 1, the expeditionary mobile base Lewis B. Puller intercepted a stateless fishing trawler sailing on a route from Iran to Yemen typically used to traffic weapons to the Houthi militant group in Yemen.

Sailors discovered more than 1 million rounds of 7.62-mm ammunition; 25,000 rounds of 12.7-mm ammunition; nearly 7,000 proximity fuses for rockets and over 4,630 pounds (2,100 kg) of propellant used to launch rocket-propelled grenades.

“This significant interdiction clearly shows that Iran’s unlawful transfer of lethal aid and destabilizing behavior continues,” said Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, the NAVCENT chief.