It’s one for the history books: the U.S. will begin on Tuesday the first trial of pirates in modern times, as three Somali pirates will stand trial in Norfolk, Virginia, for the murder of four Americans in 2011. But since then, piracy in the Indian Ocean has all but been eradicated due to an international naval operation led by U.S. drone surveillance and aggressive prosecutions and security measures. In 2011, the year the four Americans were killed, pirates launched more than 176 attacks, capturing 25 ships and receiving more than $160 million in ransom. This year, just three attacks have been launched and the last successful hijacking was more than a year ago. More than 1,100 suspected pirates have been jailed in 21 countries.
