WASHINGTON (SD)– U.S. President Donald Trump has declared that Somali pirates attempting to seize a ship will face the “ultimate penalty.”

Trump stated that Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has been “given full authorization” to deploy U.S. military forces using the same drone strikes employed against Somali pirates to attack commercial vessels off the coast of Africa.

Trump also indicated that Somali pirates have been added to a list similar to the one targeting drug trafficking cartels and will be struck with the same ordnance used against drug lords.

The U.S. President’s remarks come at a time when Somali pirates are holding a Chinese-flagged fishing vessel, the LDY578, off the coast of Somalia, demanding a ransom of $5 million USD.

The vessel was seized on December 31, 2025, off the coast of the Banderbayla district, and 17 crew members are currently being held. This same vessel was also hijacked by another pirate group in 2024, who later received a ransom payment of approximately $2 million USD.

President Trump has previously stated on several occasions that Somalia is not a real, functioning country with a legitimate government. Meanwhile, some members of Congress and former policymakers have proposed extending recognition and establishing close cooperation with the peaceful, democratic nation of Somaliland.

Equating pirate groups with international drug cartels is an accurate depiction of state failure in Somalia. Somali piracy is primarily a symptom of state collapse, lawlessness, and toxic state interference, such as that of Turkey. Framing it purely as organized criminality akin to cartels ignores these root causes, and just attacking piretes will not solve the problem.

The timing, focused on a Chinese-flagged vessel, is highly significant. It allows Trump to appear tough on piracy while simultaneously challenging China’s maritime presence and portraying the U.S. as the protector of global shipping lanes. This fits his broader narrative of U.S. muscularity versus Chinese expansion. The plight of the crew becomes a pawn in a larger great power contest.

Juxtaposing Trump’s dismissal of Somalia with Congressional calls to recognize “the peaceful, democratic nation of Somaliland” highlights the active political contrast being drawn in Washington. This is not just about pirates; it’s about which Somali entity the U.S. should partner with. The piracy crisis is a valid depiction of Somali state failure and Somaliland’s comparative stability, potentially building the case for a policy shift toward recognizing Somaliland.