Navy-operated unarmed MQ-9 Reaper remotely piloted surveillance aircraft have begun patrolling the waters off of Somalia to stem the threat of pirates to commercial shipping in the western Indian Ocean. The Associated Press reported Oct. 23 (via the Kansas City Star) that the Reaper patrols began last week, citing US military officials. The MQ-9s are operating from the Seychelles. The Navy announced earlier this year that it was dispatching a small contingent of Reapers for this mission. While Vice Adm. Robert Mueller, deputy commander of US Africa Command, told AP that the Reapers will be primarily used for counterpiracy, he acknowledged that they could have other roles. The news service speculated that this could include hunting for terrorists in Somalia.
The Pentagon plans to use U.S. Air Force C-17s and C-130s to deport 5,400 people currently detained by Customs and Border Protection, officials announced Jan. 22, the first act in President Donald Trump’s sweeping promise to crack down on undocumented immigrants and increase border security.