Illegal Immigrant Smuggles Arms to North Korea From California: DOJ
The Department of Justice (DOJ) has reportedly uncovered a shocking international weapons smuggling operation run by an illegal immigrant from China. Shenghua Wen, residing in California, allegedly shipped firearms and ammunition to North Korea, violating U.S. sanctions and posing a significant national security threat.
A federal complaint filed in the Central District of California states that Wen and unnamed co-conspirators “successfully exported at least two shipments of firearms and ammunition to North Korea by concealing the items inside shipping containers that were shipped from Long Beach, California, through Hong Kong, China, to North Korea, per Fox News.
On Aug. 14, federal agents seized two devices from the 41-year-old’s Ontario, California, home that he admitted were intended for North Korea’s military use. These included a chemical threat identification device and a handheld broadband receiver for detecting hidden eavesdropping devices.
Further investigation revealed 50,000 rounds of 9mm ammunition in Wen’s van on Sept. 6. Wen reportedly confessed to procuring this ammunition at the direction of North Korean government officials.
“During the interview on September 6, 2024, [Wen] explained that he believed the North Korean government wanted the weapons, ammunition, and other military-related equipment to prepare for an attack against South Korea,” said prosecutors, per CBS News.
Prosecutors stated that Wen, a Chinese national, entered the U.S. on a student visa in 2012 and remained illegally after its expiration. During interviews, Wen disclosed meetings with North Korean officials at consulates in China before his arrival in the U.S., where he was tasked with procuring goods for the North Korean government.
The complaint alleges that North Korean officials wired Wen approximately $2 million to purchase firearms and other products. Wen believed these weapons and ammunition were intended for a potential attack on South Korea. He also attempted to obtain military uniforms for a “surprise attack.”
To facilitate his illegal activities, Wen purchased an armory and a federal firearm license for $150,000, listing his partner as the business owner. He employed straw purchasers to avoid alerting the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Wen allegedly transported firearms from Texas to California on three separate trips, packing them into shipping containers bound for China and ultimately North Korea, according to the complaint.
These shipments reportedly took place in October and December 2023.
The U.S. attorney’s office in Los Angeles is expected to provide further details on this significant national security investigation.
“The conduct alleged in this complaint is chilling. One of our foreign adversaries, North Korea, was running an operative in our country and using that operative to obtain high grade technology and military equipment, including firearms and ammunition. And the purpose of this allegedly, was to help conduct an attack on one of our allies, South Korea,” said U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada.
Wen isn’t the only person that the DOJ has charged with having ties to the North Korean government. A woman in Arizona was charged with orchestrating a scheme to help North Korean IT workers illegally secure remote employment with American companies in May.
The news of the smuggling operation comes as South Korea issued an emergency martial law on Tuesday. In his address, President Yoon Suk Yeol accused parliament of supporting North Korean interests.
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