Man living in California accused of exporting guns, ammunition to North Korea

A man living in California has been accused of exporting guns and ammunition to North Korea, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said in a press release Tuesday.

According to the DOJ’s release, authorities arrested 41-year-old Shenghua Wen on Tuesday “on a criminal complaint alleging that he exported shipments of firearms, ammunition and other military items to North Korea.” The items were hidden within shipping containers heading out of Long Beach, Calif, the DOJ said.

The DOJ, in an affidavit, said that Wen, a Chinese national, was able to acquire firearms, export-controlled technology, and ammunition with the goal of sending them to North Korea. Wen, alongside co-conspirators, allegedly sent firearms and ammunition to North Korea by hiding them within shipping containers heading out of Long Beach “through Hong Kong to North Korea.”

“Wen 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,” the DOJ said in their press release. “Wen 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.”

The DOJ said Wen had messages on his cell phones from earlier in 2024 in which he discussed sending “military-grade equipment to North Korea” with co-conspirators. Among the messages were photographs from Wen featuring “items controlled for export under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations,” authorities said. 

The Justice Department said in its press release that text messages and emails were sent from Wen “to a U.S.-based broker” between January and April of this year regarding acquiring “a civilian plane engine.”

Wen has been charged with conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, which give him a prison sentence of up to 20 years, according to the DOJ.