Vessel guidance for the sulu and celebes seas

Original warning text

VESSEL GUIDANCE FOR THE SULU AND CELEBES SEAS.
1. U.S. FLAG OPERATORS ARE REQUESTED TO FORWARD
   THIS ADVISORY TO THEIR VESSELS BY THE MOST
   EXPEDITIOUS MEANS.
2. MARAD ADVISORIES ARE PUBLISHED ON THE MARAD
   WEB SITE AT WWW.MARAD.DOT.GOV/NEWSROOM/ADVISORY
   AND ON THE MARITIME SAFETY INFORMATION WEB SITE
   AT MSI.NGA.MIL/NGAPORTAL/MSI.PORTAL. SELECT
   BROADCAST WARNINGS, SCROLL DOWN TO SEARCH
   BOX, AND SELECT MARAD ADVISORIES.
3. U.S. FLAG VESSELS ARE ADVISED TO REMAIN VIGILANT
   WHEN TRANSITING THE SULU AND CELEBES SEAS IN
   LIGHT OF RECENT BOARDINGS AND KIDNAPPINGS THAT
   HAVE TAKEN PLACE BETWEEN SABAH, MALAYSIA AND THE
   SOUTHERN PHILIPPINES. THERE HAVE BEEN 13 REPORTED
   KIDNAPPINGS IN THIS AREA THIS YEAR, OF WHICH AT
   LEAST NINE WERE REPORTEDLY LINKED TO THE ABU
   SAYYAF GROUP (ASG).
4. PREVIOUSLY WHEN CREWMEMBER KIDNAPPINGS TOOK
   PLACE IN THIS AREA, ONLY TOWING AND FISHING
   VESSELS WERE TARGETED. HOWEVER, SINCE
   OCTOBER 2016, ASG HAS REPORTEDLY TARGETED TWO
   LARGE COMMERCIAL VESSELS AND A PRIVATE YACHT.
   THE LEVEL OF VIOLENCE HAS BEEN HIGH DURING SOME
   OF THESE ATTACKS, AS WAS DEMONSTRATED ON
   NOVEMBER 7, 2016 WHEN KIDNAPPERS BOARDED A YACHT,
   KILLED ONE FEMALE CREWMEMBER, AND KIDNAPPED THE
   REMAINING CREWMEMBER. THUS FAR, NO U.S. VESSELS
   HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN THESE INCIDENTS.
5. ADDITIONAL INFO ON THIS THREAT, INCLUDING
   SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS FOR VESSELS TRANSITING
   THE AREA IS AVAILABLE ON THE REGIONAL COOPERATION
   AGREEMENT ON COMBATING PIRACY AND ARMED ROBBERY
   AGAINST SHIPS IN ASIA (RECAAP) WEBSITE AT
   WWW.RECAAP.ORG
6. MARINERS OPERATING NEAR THIS AREA ARE ALSO
   ADVISED TO CONSULT THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE TRAVEL
   WARNING FOR THIS AREA AT
   TRAVEL.STATE.GOV/CONTENT/PASSPORTS/EN/
   ALERTSWARNINGS/PHILIPPINES-TRAVEL-WARNING.HTML
7. THIS ADVISORY IS EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY AND WILL
   REMAIN IN EFFECT UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.
8. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION REGARDING THIS ADVISORY,
   CONTACT CAMERON NARON, DIRECTOR OF MARITIME
   SECURITY, MARITIME ADMINISTRATION, CODE: MAR-420,
   1200 NEW JERSEY AVE, S.E., WASHINGTON, DC 20590,
   PHONE: 202 366 1883, FAX: 202 366 3954,
   TLX II 710 822 9426 (MARAD DOT WSH),
   EMAIL: [email protected].