Aug 18: 
Shenghua Wen, an illegal alien from China, was sentenced today to 96 months in federal prison for illegally exporting firearms, ammunition and other military items to North Korea by concealing them inside shipping containers that departed from the Port of Long Beach, and for committing this crime at the direction of North Korean government officials, who wired him approximately $2 million for his efforts.
Wen, who has been in federal custody since Dec 2024, pleaded guilty on June 9 to one count of conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and one count of acting as an illegal agent of a foreign government.
Wen is a citizen of People’s Republic of China who entered the US in 2012 on a student visa and remained in the US illegally after his student visa expired in Dec 2013.
Prior to entering the US, Wen met with officials from North Korea’s government at a North Korean embassy in China. These government officials directed Wen to procure goods on behalf of North Korea.
In 2022, two North Korean government officials contacted Wen through an online messaging platform and instructed him to buy and smuggle firearms and other goods — including sensitive technology — from the US to North Korea via China.
In 2023, at the direction of North Korean government officials, Wen shipped at least three containers of firearms out of the Port of Long Beach to China en route to their ultimate destination in North Korea. Wen took steps to conceal that he was illegally shipping firearms to North Korea by, among other things, filing false export information regarding the contents of the containers.
In May 2023, Wen purchased a firearms business in Houston, paid for with money sent through intermediaries by one of Wen’s North Korean contacts. Wen purchased many of the firearms he sent to North Korea in Texas and drove the firearms from Texas to California, where he arranged for them to be shipped.
In Dec 2023, one of Wen’s weapons shipments — which was falsely reported to US officials as containing a refrigerator — left the Port of Long Beach and arrived in Hong Kong in Jan 2024. This weapons shipment was later transported from Hong Kong to Nampo, North Korea.
In Sep 2024, Wen — once again acting at the direction of North Korean officials — bought approximately 60,000 rounds of 9mm ammunition that he intended to ship to North Korea.
In furtherance of the conspiracy and at the direction of North Korean officials, Wen also obtained sensitive technology that he intended to send to North Korea. This technology included a chemical threat identification device and a handheld broadband receiver that detects known, unknown, illegal, disruptive or interfering transmissions.
Wen also acquired or offered to acquire a civilian airplane engine and a thermal imaging system that could be mounted on a drone, helicopter, or other aircraft, and could be used for reconnaissance and target identification.
During the scheme, North Korean officials wired approximately $2 million to Wen to procure firearms and other goods for their government.
Wen admitted in his plea agreement that at all relevant times he knew that it was illegal to ship firearms, ammunition, and sensitive technology to North Korea. He also admitted to never having the required licenses to export ammunition, firearms, and the above-described devices to North Korea. He further admitted to acting at the direction of North Korean government officials and that he had not provided notification to the Attorney General of the US that he was acting in the US at the direction and control of North Korea as required by law.
justice.gov/usao-cdca/pr/c
Shenghua Wen, an illegal alien from China, was sentenced today to 96 months in federal prison for illegally exporting firearms, ammunition and other military items to North Korea by concealing them inside shipping containers that departed from the Port of Long Beach, and for committing this crime at the direction of North Korean government officials, who wired him approximately $2 million for his efforts.
Wen, who has been in federal custody since Dec 2024, pleaded guilty on June 9 to one count of conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and one count of acting as an illegal agent of a foreign government.
Wen is a citizen of People’s Republic of China who entered the US in 2012 on a student visa and remained in the US illegally after his student visa expired in Dec 2013.
Prior to entering the US, Wen met with officials from North Korea’s government at a North Korean embassy in China. These government officials directed Wen to procure goods on behalf of North Korea.
In 2022, two North Korean government officials contacted Wen through an online messaging platform and instructed him to buy and smuggle firearms and other goods — including sensitive technology — from the US to North Korea via China.
In 2023, at the direction of North Korean government officials, Wen shipped at least three containers of firearms out of the Port of Long Beach to China en route to their ultimate destination in North Korea. Wen took steps to conceal that he was illegally shipping firearms to North Korea by, among other things, filing false export information regarding the contents of the containers.
In May 2023, Wen purchased a firearms business in Houston, paid for with money sent through intermediaries by one of Wen’s North Korean contacts. Wen purchased many of the firearms he sent to North Korea in Texas and drove the firearms from Texas to California, where he arranged for them to be shipped.
In Dec 2023, one of Wen’s weapons shipments — which was falsely reported to US officials as containing a refrigerator — left the Port of Long Beach and arrived in Hong Kong in Jan 2024. This weapons shipment was later transported from Hong Kong to Nampo, North Korea.
In Sep 2024, Wen — once again acting at the direction of North Korean officials — bought approximately 60,000 rounds of 9mm ammunition that he intended to ship to North Korea.
In furtherance of the conspiracy and at the direction of North Korean officials, Wen also obtained sensitive technology that he intended to send to North Korea. This technology included a chemical threat identification device and a handheld broadband receiver that detects known, unknown, illegal, disruptive or interfering transmissions.
Wen also acquired or offered to acquire a civilian airplane engine and a thermal imaging system that could be mounted on a drone, helicopter, or other aircraft, and could be used for reconnaissance and target identification.
During the scheme, North Korean officials wired approximately $2 million to Wen to procure firearms and other goods for their government.
Wen admitted in his plea agreement that at all relevant times he knew that it was illegal to ship firearms, ammunition, and sensitive technology to North Korea. He also admitted to never having the required licenses to export ammunition, firearms, and the above-described devices to North Korea. He further admitted to acting at the direction of North Korean government officials and that he had not provided notification to the Attorney General of the US that he was acting in the US at the direction and control of North Korea as required by law.
justice.gov/usao-cdca/pr/c
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Byron Wan
@Byron_Wan
June 9: Shenghua Wen, an illegal alien from China, pleaded guilty to federal criminal charges for illegally exporting firearms, ammunition and other military items to North Korea by concealing them inside shipping containers that departed from the Port of Long Beach, x.com/Byron_Wan/stat…
Show more Shenghua Wen, an illegal alien from China, pleaded guilty to federal criminal charges for illegally exporting firearms, ammunition and other military items to North Korea by concealing them inside shipping containers that departed from the Port of Long Beach, x.com/Byron_Wan/stat…