Insider Account of the M/V Maersk Alabama

Last week, the nation was captivated by the unfolding story of the M/V Maersk Alabama and the Somali pirates that held the ship's captian, Richard Phillips, hostage until the U.S. Navy took action four days later. It sounds like something straight out of a movie (come on: distant lands, pirates,...

By Jose D. Duran

April 16, 2009

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Last week, the nation was captivated by the unfolding story of the M/V Maersk Alabama and the Somali pirates that held the ship's captian, Richard Phillips, hostage until the U.S. Navy took action four days later. It sounds like something straight out of a movie (come on: distant lands, pirates, covert military operations), but it was very much real life.

Runnin' Scared, the news blog over at our sister paper, Village Voice, has obtained an emailed account of events. It offers new information of the saga between the crew and the pirates the day the boat was seized. Check it out, because it definitely adds to the incredible nature of the story.

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Jose D. Duran is associate editor of Miami New Times where he primarily oversees the arts and culture and music beats. Jose joined the New Times staff in June 2008 but has been covering Miami culture since 2005. His work has also appeared in publications likeVice, Billboard, and Spin. He’s earned numerous accolades including placing first for Weekly Newspaper Contest: Business Reporting from the Florida Press Association in 2020; placing third for the Writing: Light Feature from the Florida Press Club in 2019; and placing third in Weekly Newspaper Contest: Best Obituary from the Florida Press Association in 2015. Jose holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Florida.

Contact: Jose D. Duran

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Twitter: @jose_d_duran