I am not saying it smells ATF Project...
But it surely stinks.
LOS ANGELES – An illegal alien from China pleaded guilty today 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, and for committing this crime at the direction of North Korean government officials, who wired him approximately $2 million for his efforts.
Shenghua Wen, 42, of Ontario, pleaded guilty 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 has been in federal custody since his arrest in December 2024.
According to his plea agreement, Wen is a citizen of the People’s Republic of China who entered the United States in 2012 on a student visa and remained in the U.S. illegally after his student visa expired in December 2013.
Prior to entering the United States, 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.
Here is the part that rings foul in my ears:
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.
OK, he bought the business but, how did he get an FFL to buy guns? Did he get a third party in the scheme? If so, how come he is not mentioned in the press release? Or maybe the FFL holder was a Three-Letter Agency boy (or girl.) And if the last is what happened, we are seeing history repeat itself.
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.
At least this time, no Patrol Agent was killed.
Seriously, this stinks.
It not only stinks, it's an affirmation that Trump's project to deport all illegal aliens is the right way to go. In my opinion, funding for removal of illegals should be one of the top priorities of our government.
I'm disturbed that Trump's deal with China allows Chinese "students" (read spies) to remain in the US. We know the majority of them are here for purposes in addition to getting an education. We should not allow them here at all. If they must be here they should be closely monitored, and any action that's suspicious should result in expulsion.
It's a dangerous world, and some of our government's decisions, past and present, don't strike me as being in the best interests of the people or the country.
Why would the NORKS want U.S. small arms when the Chinese would provide all they wanted including machine guns, etc? Also how did Wen get an export license for firearms? Sounds like somebody wanted to hide the origin of the arms. Definitely sounds like a three letter agency involvement. If so, why did they hang him out to dry?