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Federal authorities announced Tuesday that they have arrested an Ontario man in connection with a North Korean arms smuggling operation that involved transporting weapons from Long Beach.
Federal agents earlier this year detained the agent, Shenhua Wen, a 41-year-old registered Chinese citizen with an expired student visa.
Wen is scheduled to make his first appearance Tuesday afternoon in federal court in downtown Los Angeles, and could be arraigned in the coming weeks.
“The importance of these arrests and the discovery of this program cannot be overstated,” said FBI Los Angeles Deputy Director Akil Davis. Not only did we prevent it from being passed on, but we also collected valuable information for the United States and our allies.”
According to a criminal complaint filed last month, federal agents searched Wen’s Ontario home on Aug. 14, 2024, and found two devices that Wen admitted he intended to send to North Korea for military use. I found a table. These include the Serstech RX MkII Pharma device, which is used to identify chemical threats, and the ANDRE Deluxe Near-Field Detection device, which is used to detect transmitted signals.
A month later, on September 6, officials found Wen’s van parked outside his home and seized it. According to investigators, the van contained 50,000 rounds of 9mm bullets that were scheduled to be sent to North Korea.
According to investigators, Wen, along with a number of unidentified co-conspirators, successfully transported two packages containing firearms and ammunition to North Korea. These containers were shipped from the Port of Long Beach to Hong Kong, then to China, and finally to North Korea.
“Given the extraordinary threat posed by North Korea, the transportation of such items to North Korea requires approval from the United States government,” U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said at a press conference Tuesday. “Please work around those restrictions.”
Authorities said it was unclear what the contraband was used for, but prosecutors said Wen mentioned the concept of a surprise attack on South Korea during his interactions with North Korean officials.
In a series of interviews with investigative officials, “Mr. Wen explained that before coming to the United States, he met with North Korean government officials at two separate North Korean consulates in China.” It is highly likely that he was chosen to procure supplies on his behalf.” He was good at smuggling, so the Korean government. ”
Wen first made contact with North Korea two years ago with people he identified as Jin Yongnan and Choi. Mr. Choi then instructed Mr. Wen to follow the authorities and procure weapons using $2 million provided by the North Korean government.
According to a federal criminal complaint, Wen purchased the weapons through a “straw purchaser” who legally purchased them before transporting and shipping them from Long Beach.
Wen arrived at United in 2012 on a student visa. Federal authorities say he continued to be in the country illegally even after his visa expired.
Estrada said Wen met with North Korean government representatives in China and planned the plan before leaving China to come to the United States on a student visa. Estrada said North Korea then sent him at least $2 million in supplies and transportation costs.
Wen does not have a license from the Bureau of Foreign Assets Control or the Bureau of Industry and Security. It is illegal to send military equipment of any kind to North Korea.
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