Chinese national accused of trying to ship U.S. arms, ammo, tech to North Korea

Dec. 3 (UPI) -- A Chinese citizen living in California faces charges for allegedly trying to export firearms and other military items to North Korea.

Shenghua Wen of Ontario, Calif., was arrested and charged with allegedly shipping firearms, ammunition and military technology to North Korea while illegally residing in the United States.

Wen, 41, is a Chinese citizen illegally living in California and he allegedly concealed firearms, ammunition and other military supplies inside shipping containers that the DOJ found in the Port of Long Beach, department officials announced Tuesday in a news release.

Officers arrested Wen Tuesday morning on a criminal complaint accusing him and co-conspirators of obtaining firearms, ammunition and export-controlled technology to ship them to North Korea in violation of U.S. sanctions against that nation.

Wen and his co-conspirators allegedly intended to ship the items through Hong Kong to North Korea.

Federal law enforcement officers said that, on Aug. 14, they seized two devices at Wen's home that he allegedly intended to send to North Korea.

Those items are a chemical threat identification device and a hand-held broadband receiver that detects eavesdropping devices, the DOJ said in its complaint against Wen.

Law enforcement officers also said they seized about 50,000 rounds of 9mm ammunition that the DOJ says Wen intended to ship to North Korea.

A review of Wen's iPhone in December 2023 allegedly showed he smuggled items from Long Beach to Hong Kong with North Korea being their final destination, law enforcement officials said.

The DOJ said messages that law enforcement extracted from Wen's phones discussed plans with co-conspirators to ship military-grade equipment to North Korea and included photos of items the U.S. banned for shipment to that nation under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations.

Wen legally entered the United States on a student visa in 2012 but remained in the nation after the student visa expired, the DOJ said.

Because he illegally remained in the United States, the DOJ said, Wen is banned from possessing firearms and ammunition.

Wen also lacks the required licenses to export ammunition, firearms and other devices to North Korea, officials said.

Wen is charged with conspiracy to violate the International Economic Powers Act, and he was scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday afternoon in the U.S. District Court for Central California in Los Angeles.

If convicted, Wen could be sentenced to up to 20 years in federal prison.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Gerdes and trial attorney Ahmed Almudallal of the National Security Division's Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case against Wen.