Shenghua Wen, a 41-year-old Chinese individual residing in California, has been taken into custody and is facing legal repercussions after allegedly engaging in the procurement and exportation of firearms and ammunition to North Korea under the instructions of North Korean operatives who provided him with $2 million for the acquisition of the weapons. As per court documents, Wen also confessed to seeking military attire, presumably to assist North Korean military personnel in camouflaging themselves, possibly in preparation for a covert assault on South Korea, a revelation made by prosecutors in a supporting statement for the criminal complaint lodged on November 26.
According to prosecutors, Wen arrived in the United States in 2012 on a student visa and currently resides in Ontario, California. Through a series of interrogations earlier this year, he purportedly disclosed to investigators that he had met with North Korean representatives in China prior to relocating to the U.S., who then tasked him with procuring firearms, ammunition, and technological gear on behalf of Pyongyang. The affidavit filed in federal court in California delineated how FBI agents seized 50,000 rounds of ammunition from Wen's automobile, and he purportedly acknowledged purchasing these supplies at the behest of North Korean officials. Additionally, law enforcement retrieved a device used for identifying chemical hazards and a tool capable of detecting concealed surveillance equipment, as mentioned in the affidavit.
The allegations against Wen extend to his supposed involvement in acquiring weapons through intermediary buyers and making multiple trips to Texas to obtain firearms. Notably, he detailed how the North Korean government channeled roughly $2 million through a Chinese bank into bank accounts linked to his partner to finance the illicit acquisitions and international shipments. Authorities documented Wen's communication with his handlers through encrypted messaging apps, where instructions were relayed, and smuggling operations were coordinated. Furthermore, investigators discovered images of firearms and equipment exchanged in conversations with co-conspirators, some of which were presented in the affidavit.