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Ex-U.S. Marine arrested in North Korea Embassy raid in Spain

By Tauren Dyson
The North Korean Embassy in Madrid was the target of a mysterious raid. File Photo by Mariscal/EPA-EFE
The North Korean Embassy in Madrid was the target of a mysterious raid. File Photo by Mariscal/EPA-EFE

April 20 (UPI) -- Authorities in the United States arrested an ex-Marine Friday in connection with the February raid of North Korea's embassy in Spain.

Christopher Ahn, a member of a human rights group known as Free Joseon, was arraigned in federal court in Los Angeles. 

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Free Joseon, which says it wants to overthrow North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, claimed the raid was an effort to help U.S. intelligence officials.

In February, at least 10 masked intruders from the group raided the embassy at night, took computers and hard drives, and tied up staff members, one of whom was an attache they tried to persuade to defect.

The intruders eventually fled to the United States.

The FBI raided the apartment of the group's leader Adrian Hong, a U.S. citizen.

In March, Free Joseon claimed responsibility for the raid and admitted to stealing to computers and hard drives before giving them to the FBI. They say the hard drives may contain information with "enormous" intelligence value.

The raid took place five days before President Donald Trump attended his second summit with Kim.

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