Chinese migrant accused of receiving millions to smuggle guns and ammo into North Korea

 Recently unsealed court documents revealed that United States federal prosecutors have charged a Chinese illegal immigrant with allegations of smuggling guns and ammunition to North Korea in exchange for $2 million received from Pyongyang to buy and ship the equipment.

Shenghua Wen, who was residing in California, admitted to buying guns, ammunition and even to trying to buy military uniforms, which prosecutors claim was part of a possible attempt to disguise North Koreans so they could carry out a "surprise attack" against South Korea.  

The complaint, filed on Nov. 26, claimed that Wen "successfully exported at least two shipments of firearms and ammunition to North Korea by concealing the items inside shipping containers that were shipped from Long Beach, California, through Hong Kong, China, to North Korea."

Authorities did not describe in the complaint what kinds of weapons were exported.

In order to conduct his operation, Wen purchased a business in 2023 known as Super Armory, a federal firearms licensee, for $150,000, and registered it in Texas under the name of his partner. He had other people buy the firearms and then drove them to California, falsifying the shipments as refrigerator and camera parts.

Wen is accused of conspiring to violate American sanctions on North Korea that prohibit sending U.S. dollars or goods to the country without permission.

Wen organized multiple shipments of guns, ammunition and other military goods to Pyongyang

On Aug. 14, federal agents seized "a chemical threat identification device" and a "handheld broadband receiver that detects known, unknown, illegal, disruptive or interfering transmissions" that Wen acknowledged he obtained for the North Korean military.

In another raid on Sept. 6, law enforcement officials found and seized 50,000 rounds of 9mm ammunition hidden in a van parked outside his home.

Wen entered the U.S. on a one-year student visa in 2012, but remained in the country illegally after the visa expired.

"Based on information from the Department of Homeland Security, Wen was ordered removed from the United States in 2018," the document said, without revealing why he still stayed in the country despite the deportation order.

Wen told investigators that he met North Korean government officials at two separate North Korean Consulates in China before arriving in America.

Investigators said in the affidavit that according to Wen, North Korean government officials directed him to acquire goods for the North Korean government during meetings at the North Korean Consulates in China.

"Wen stated that he was likely selected to procure goods on behalf of the North Korean government because he was good at smuggling," the investigators stated.

Investigators added that Wen knew he could not purchase firearms directly because he was in the country illegally and had to use other people to buy the firearms.

It is not clear if the frontmen buyers were informed of the final destination meant for the firearms.