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Chinese Man Pleads Guilty to Smuggling Guns to North Korea
A Chinese man in California pleads guilty to smuggling firearms and ammo to North Korea under Pyongyang’s direction. U.S. officials say he acted as an unregistered foreign agent.
ND
by News Desk
2025-06-10
Chinese Man Pleads Guilty to Smuggling Guns to North Korea

A Chinese man residing illegally in the United States has pleaded guilty to conspiring with North Korean officials to illegally export firearms, ammunition, and sensitive military equipment to North Korea, the U.S. Department of Justice announced on Monday.

The accused, Shenghua Wen, 42, of Ontario, California, admitted to violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and acting as an unregistered agent of a foreign government — in this case, North Korea.

According to prosecutors, Wen orchestrated a major smuggling scheme in 2023 that involved the shipment of at least three containers of weapons, one of which arrived in Nampo, North Korea via Hong Kong. Wen had purchased a firearms business in Houston, Texas, to facilitate the operation and used falsified shipping documentation to hide the true nature of the cargo.

The Department of Justice said Wen had also acquired approximately 60,000 rounds of 9mm ammunition and a chemical threat identification device, classified as sensitive technology, intended for use by the North Korean government.

Court documents revealed that Wen was recruited by North Korean government officials at their embassy in China and later entered the United States on a student visa in 2012. Over the course of the conspiracy, he received approximately $2 million in transfers to carry out the operation.

“Wen admitted that he knew it was illegal to export firearms, ammunition, and sensitive technology to North Korea,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a press release. “He also admitted that he acted under the direction of North Korean government officials and failed to notify the U.S. Attorney General, as required by law.”

During an FBI interview, Wen claimed that North Korea was stockpiling weapons in preparation for a possible attack on South Korea, further underlining the grave national security implications of the case.

Wen was arrested in December 2023 and is currently in federal custody. His sentencing is scheduled for August, where he faces up to 20 years in prison for violating the IEEPA and an additional 10 years for operating as an unregistered foreign agent.

The U.S. government emphasized that this case highlights ongoing threats posed by North Korea’s attempts to circumvent international sanctions and pursue illegal arms procurement through covert channels in the West.

 

 
Tagged:

NorthKorea

USJustice

GunSmuggling

IEEPA
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