Chinese national accused of smuggling arms to North Korea

U.S. authorities arrested Shenghua Wen in California on Tuesday for allegedly exporting firearms, ammunition, and other military equipment to North Korea, according to the Department of Justice. The suspect and his co-conspirators are accused of shipping export-controlled items in shipping containers out of Long Beach to Hong Kong that would be re-routed to North Korea, according to the DOJ’s news release.

How was he able to enter the country? Wen is a 41-year-old Chinese citizen who has illegally been living in the United States, staying after the expiration of a student visa, according to the DOJ. The Chinese national faces up to 20 years in federal prison for allegedly violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, the department said. He’s presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.

What kind of technology was he trying to send? Federal authorities searched Wen’s home in August and found a chemical threat identification device that they believed he meant to send to North Korea. During the same search, investigators also found a handheld receiver for detecting eavesdropping devices. Another later search in September yielded about 50,000 rounds of 9 mm ammunition. Authorities previously searched Wen’s phone in late 2023 and found Wen was looking for an airplane engine used in civilian aircraft, according to the department. The review of Wen’s phone also suggested that Wen previously smuggled items out of California to North Korea, although the department did not specify what items were sent or if they reached their destination.

Dig deeper: Read Addie Offereins’ report on how cities prepare to cooperate with deportations under the Trump administration.