U.S. Justice Department Indicts Seven, Including Chinese Nationals, for Attempting to Smuggle Weapons to North Korea
Charged with Conspiracy to Traffic Firearms
Secured 170 Firearms Between 2023 and 2024
On January 11 (local time), NK News, a media outlet specializing in North Korea, reported that the U.S. Department of Justice has indicted one American and six Chinese nationals on charges of attempting to secretly send weapons to North Korea.
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Texas announced in a press release on January 9 that seven individuals, including Chinese nationals Wen Shenghua and Yang Jin, have been indicted on charges of participating in firearms trafficking.
Wen had already been sentenced to prison in August of last year for purchasing and smuggling weapons for North Korea, and additional criminal charges have been brought against him in this case.
According to the indictment, after acquiring a firearms dealership, Wen and Yang instructed other Chinese nationals, including Zhao Xifu, as well as American citizen Richard Arredondo, who resides in Mexicali, Mexico, to purchase specific firearms.
Through these methods, it was found that between 2023 and 2024, they secured 170 firearms and thousands of rounds of ammunition to be sent to North Korea.
The Department of Justice charged Wen and Yang with conspiracy and conspiracy to traffic firearms. If convicted, Wen faces up to 5 years in prison, while Yang faces up to 15 years. Their accomplices could also face up to 5 years in prison and a fine of up to 250,000 dollars.
It was determined that Wen entered the United States in 2012 on a student visa but remained illegally after his visa expired. In December 2024, he was arrested on charges of shipping firearms disguised as general cargo in at least three containers from the Port of Long Beach in Los Angeles County, sending them to North Korea via China.
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Subsequently, Wen admitted to all charges brought by prosecutors and, in August of last year, was sentenced to 8 years in prison for conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and for acting as an illegal agent of a foreign government.
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