Kidnapped U.S. Mariners Freed by Pirates

Two U.S. mariners who were kidnapped from an oilfield supply ship off Nigeria's coast last month have been released, a U.S. State Department spokeswoman confirmed on Tuesday.

No specific details about the men were revealed, aside from their release over the weekend and that they are on their way home. They are safe and healthy. "We welcome the release of the two U.S. citizens who were kidnapped from the M/V C-Retriever. For privacy reasons, we will not provide any additional information," a State Department official said in a statement.

News of the release comes nearly three weeks after armed assailants stormed the U.S.-flagged C-Retriever and kidnapped the two Americans, identified at the time by U.S. and Nigerian officials as the captain and a chief engineer.

The crewmen were freed after negotiations successfully yielded a ransom payment. Edison Chouest Offshore, the vessel’s owner, was negotiating for the sailors' release for weeks. U.S. government policy generally bars it from paying ransom for its citizens, but the policy does not extend to private companies.