A Chinese national residing in the United States was arrested on Tuesday on a federal criminal complaint alleging that he exported to North Korea shipments of firearms, ammunition and other military items that were concealed inside shipping containers bound from Long Beach, according to U.S. attorney’s office, central district of California.
The man living in Ontario is charged with conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, a felony that carries a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.
According to an affidavit filed with the complaint, the man obtained firearms, ammunition, and export-controlled technology with the intention of shipping them to North Korea-a violation of federal law and United States sanctions against that nation.
The 41-years-old man and his co-conspirators allegedly exported shipments of firearms and ammunition to North Korea by concealing the items inside shipping containers that were shipped from Long Beach through Hong Kong to North Korea, said the U.S. attorney’s office.
In August, agents seized at his home two devices that he intended to send to North Korea for military use. This included a chemical threat identification device and a hand-held broadband receiver that detects eavesdropping devices.
In September law enforcement seized approximately 50,000 rounds of 9mm ammunition that he allegedly obtained to send to North Korea.
A review in his iPhone revealed to law enforcement that in December 2023 the man smuggled items from Long Beach to Hong Kong with their destination being North Korea. Messages retrieved from his cell phones revealed discussions he had earlier this year with co-conspirators about shipping military-grade equipment to North Korea.
Some of these messages include photographs that he sent of items controlled for export under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations.
Furthermore, from January to April 2024, he sent emails and text messages to a U.S.-based broker about obtaining a civilian plane engine. There also were several text messages on his iPhone concerning price negotiation for the plane and its engine.
According to U.S. attorney’s office, the man is a Chinese national who is illegally in the United States after overstaying his student visa and is therefore prohibited from possessing any firearms or ammunition.
He lacks the required licenses from the U.S. government to export ammunition, firearms, and the other devices that law enforcement seized at his home to North Korea.
U.S. authorities said his arraignment is expected to occur in the coming weeks.
