The Biden admin failures are piling up. This one is particularly bad.
Because the Department of Defense and Department of Justice are panicking about this national security failure.
On Tuesday, federal authorities apprehended Shenghua Wen, a Chinese national living unlawfully in Ontario, California, for allegedly masterminding an illicit operation to export weapons from the United States to North Korea. The 41-year-old Wen faces serious charges of conspiracy under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, a felony that could result in up to 20 years in federal prison, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ). Wen is accused of facilitating the shipment of firearms, ammunition, and other military supplies from Long Beach, California, to North Korea.
In a press statement following the arrest, the DOJ highlighted that Wen’s actions appeared to be directed by officials from North Korea. U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada remarked, “We have arrested a defendant who allegedly acted at the direction of the North Korean government by conspiring to illegally ship firearms, ammunition, and other military equipment to North Korea.”
Estrada expressed gratitude toward law enforcement for halting this operation, emphasizing their dedication to safeguarding national security. “I am grateful to our law enforcement partners for stopping this threat and their tireless commitment to the security of our nation,” Mr. Martin Estrada noted in his remarks on the matter.
Akil Davis, assistant director of the FBI Los Angeles field office, also praised the investigation’s success, stating, “The significance of this arrest and discovery of this scheme cannot be overstated. Not only did the investigative team prevent additional restricted items going to the North Korean regime, but they gathered valuable intelligence for the United States and our allies.”
The investigation into Wen’s activities, which involved multiple federal agencies, had been ongoing for months. In August, law enforcement officials seized a chemical threat identification device and a handheld broadband receiver capable of detecting eavesdropping devices at Wen’s residence. The following month, authorities discovered roughly 50,000 rounds of 9mm ammunition, which Wen allegedly intended to ship to North Korea.
Department of Justice Comments On The Plans Of The Chinese Illegal Immigrant
According to the DOJ, Wen’s plan involved smuggling military-grade equipment disguised in shipping containers to Hong Kong, with North Korea as the final destination. Investigators reportedly found evidence on Wen’s phone, including communications with co-conspirators regarding the shipments, photographs of the weapons, and price negotiations for a plane and engine.
Wen initially entered the United States legally on a student visa but remained in the country after it expired. As an illegal migrant, he was prohibited under U.S. law from possessing firearms or ammunition, and he lacked the necessary permits to export such items abroad.
Gregory Dunlap, Special Agent in Charge of the Office of Export Enforcement (OEE), expressed concern over the gravity of Wen’s alleged actions, stating, “The defendant’s alleged attempts to illicitly export firearms and military technology from the United States at the behest of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea constitute an alarming violation of sanctions and export control laws.” Dunlap emphasized that the OEE is committed to identifying and dismantling illegal export schemes that threaten national and global security.
While illegal immigration at the U.S.-Mexico border has garnered significant attention, the issue of foreign nationals overstaying their visas has also risen sharply. A June 2023 report from the Department of Homeland Security revealed that more than 850,000 foreign visitors overstayed their authorized stays in fiscal year 2022, a rate that has more than doubled in recent years. Additionally, Chinese nationals attempting to illegally enter the U.S. reached record levels in fiscal year 2024, with nearly 38,000 encounters reported by Customs and Border Protection.
Though the fact that Shenghua Wen was caught before they were able to carry out all their plans to smuggle weapons back to North Korea could be seen as a win for the Biden administration, it shouldn’t be ignored that part of the reason that this was allowed to happen is because of the broken border system.
Wen was illegally living in Ontario, California, so it’s not like he was someone who was allowed to be here and carry out these plans for North Korea from afar and from safety. If the United States had a secure immigration system, individuals like Wen wouldn’t be making it into the United States in the first place.
🚨Individuals on the TERROR WATCHLIST trying to cross into the US:
2019: 0
2020: 3
2021: 15
2022: 98
2023: 169 pic.twitter.com/lOYammtXos— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) October 24, 2023
If you don’t have border security where you can be almost certainly confident that extremely dangerous individuals aren’t making their way across the borders, then you don’t have a sovereign nation at all. Border security is a piece of sovereignty older than modern democratic societies and nations.
The Conservative Column will keep you updated on any updates from law enforcement concerning this developing story.
