Watch what happens when Somali pirates mess with Americans who break out the big guns

For years, Somali pirates have been terrorizing shipping vessels that get too close to the horn of Africa. Unfortunately, the area is an important trade route and is heavily trafficked. In their prime between 2008 to 2011, the pirates cost shipping industries billions of dollars.

While the piracy subsided for a few years, the seafaring buccaneers have returned with a vengeance. In the past month, there have been five instances of piracy in the Gulf of Aden, just off the coast of Somalia. A new video, which is going viral online, shows the face-to-face combat of pirates and private security forces. The security guards can be seen firing warning shots off of the front of the skiffs and from the chatter, there seem to be guards on both sides of the ship.

The Economist recently looked into the resurgence of piracy around the horn of Africa and reported that the rising insurance premiums led to shipping companies hiring private guards to protect their investments.

Young Somalian men are easy targets for criminal organizations funding piracy who can promise big payouts for short stints of work. The illegal fishing off their shores is also a major problem as the local fish population has dried up.