An individual from China has admitted to federal charges in the United States related to exporting firearms, ammunition, and military items to North Korea. Shenghua Wen, 42, who resided in Ontario, pleaded guilty to conspiring to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and acting as an illegal agent for a foreign government.
Wen has been detained since his arrest in December 2024. He initially entered the U.S. on a student visa in 2012 but remained illegally after it expired in December 2013. Before arriving in the U.S., Wen had met with North Korean officials at their embassy in China and was instructed to procure goods for them.
In 2022, North Korean officials contacted Wen via an online platform, directing him to smuggle firearms and sensitive technology from the U.S. through China to North Korea. By 2023, Wen had shipped multiple containers of firearms from the Port of Long Beach under false pretenses.
A notable incident occurred when one shipment labeled as containing a refrigerator left Long Beach in December 2023 and reached Hong Kong by January 2024 before proceeding to Nampo, North Korea. In September 2024, following further instructions from North Korean officials, Wen purchased significant quantities of ammunition intended for shipment to North Korea.
Wen also acquired sensitive technology like a chemical threat identification device and other equipment that could be used for reconnaissance purposes. Throughout this operation, he received approximately $2 million from North Korean contacts.
He acknowledged knowing that his actions were illegal and that he lacked the necessary licenses for exporting such items. Additionally, he failed to inform the U.S. Attorney General about his activities directed by North Korea.
U.S. District Judge Stephen V. Wilson has set Wen’s sentencing for August 18, where he could face up to 20 years for violating IEEPA and an additional 10 years for being an illegal agent of a foreign government.
The investigation involved several agencies including the FBI; Homeland Security Investigations; DCIS; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security.
The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah E. Gerdes from the Terrorism and Export Crimes Section along with Trial Attorney Ahmed Almudallal from the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
