Man accused of smuggling weapons to North Korea in shipping containers from Long Beach
LONG BEACH, Calif. (KABC) -- A Chinese national who lives in Ontario has been arrested on suspicion of shipping weapons, technology and other items to North Korea in exchange for millions of dollars, federal prosecutors announced Tuesday.
Shenghua Wen, 41, allegedly shipped firearms and ammunition to North Korea by concealing them inside shipping containers that were sent out from Long Beach and then through Hong Kong, according to a criminal complaint.
The suspect told investigators the weapons were to be used for a surprise attack on South Korea. Authorities say North Korea paid him $2 million.
"The conduct alleged in this complaint is chilling," said U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada during a news conference. "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."
On Aug. 14, federal agents seized from Wen's home two devices that he allegedly planned to send to North Korea for military use. They were a chemical threat identification device and a hand-held broadband receiver that detects eavesdropping devices.
Less than a month later, they discovered 50,000 rounds of ammunition that authorities say he admitted were headed to the same country.
"We know he shipped at least two different shipments in 2023, and one of these shipments was labeled a refrigerator," Estrada said. "Another was labeled as camera parts, but we now know they actually contained materials that were illegal to ship to North Korea, including firearms, ammunition and high grade technology."
FBI raids Ontario home
Wen was arrested on Tuesday and is now charged with conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.
Federal authorities say the Chinese national was in the United States illegally. They don't know how long he was allegedly working with North Korea but he entered the United States on a student visa in 2012 and never left.
Since Wen was here illegally, he couldn't buy weapons, so investigators say he bought a Texas company that could.
"He would then take these materials, often from the state of Texas, drive them over to California before taking them to the ports and shipping them," Estrada said.
If convicted as charged, Wen faces up to 20 years in federal prison. The investigation is still underway and more charges could be added.
