After a thorough search, the two United States Navy SEALs who went missing earlier this month during an operation on an Iranian weapons ship have been officially declared deceased, according to military sources.
According to X, the U.S. Central Command said that the SEALs went missing after attempting to board a ship during an operation near the Somali coast on January 11. The Houthis have attacked merchant ships in the Red Sea dozens of times, causing worldwide trade disruptions and supply bottleneck worries. The SEALs’ mission was to thwart the Houthi’s efforts.
In a statement, CENTCOM claimed that the United States, Spain, and Japan worked together in an effort to search over 21,000 square miles of water for the missing SEALs. A recovery operation had replaced the mission.
Regardless of the strikes and casualties inflicted on them, the Houthi movement has sworn to maintain attacks.
The two SEALs were members of a US Navy Special Warfare outfit stationed on the West Coast. They went missing while investigating the illicit transfer of deadly supplies from Iran to Yemen at night. The seizure of ballistic and cruise missile components was subsequently announced by US Central Command.
CNN previously reported that during the mission, eight-foot surges caused one SEAL to fall into the ocean, and as per protocol, the second SEAL dived in after to attempt a rescue. It is expected that a teammate must come to the aid of a fallen boarding operation participant if they are considered disabled, according to a prior explanation by a US official.
Chambers, a Maryland native, joined the Navy in May 2012 and has been serving with SEAL teams on the West Coast since 2014, according to bios given by Naval Special Warfare Command. He was decorated with several accolades and ribbons, including four Achievement Medals from the Navy and Marine Corps, one with the Combat Action Ribbon, the Army Achievement Medal, and many more.
Ingram, a Texan, joined in the military in September 2019 and, upon finishing boot camp at Recruit Training Command Great Lakes, Illinois, immediately began pre-special warfare training. In 2021, he finished the SEAL qualifying program. The National Defense Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal and Service Medal, the Navy “E” Ribbon, and other decorations and distinctions were bestowed to him.
