Shenghua Wen, a Chinese citizen who overstayed his visa, was sentenced to eight years in prison for conspiring to export weapons to North Korea.
Wen, 42, entered the United States in 2012 on a student visa and remained there illegally after his visa expired in December 2013. He had previously met with North Korean officials at the country’s embassy in China, where they commissioned him to procure goods on behalf of the North Korean government. Wen was detained in federal custody since December 2024 and pleaded guilty in June to conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and acting as an illegal agent of a foreign government.
During the investigation, law enforcement uncovered evidence that Wen and co-conspirators successfully shipped firearms and ammunition to North Korea by concealing the items inside shipping containers that were transported through Long Beach, California, to Hong Kong, and finally to North Korea. In addition, authorities seized two devices — a chemical threat identification device and a hand-held broadband receiver that detects eavesdropping devices — at Wen’s home in August 2024, which he intended to send to North Korea. Over 50,000 rounds of 9mm ammunition were also confiscated from Wen’s residence on September 6, 2024.
Messages retrieved from Wen’s cellphones revealed covert communications with co-conspirators about shipping military-grade equipment to North Korea. These communications included photographs of items controlled for export under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations, as noted by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). From January to April 2024, Wen sent emails and text messages to a U.S.-based broker about obtaining a civilian plane engine, further involving himself in clandestine dealings. The North Korean government reportedly wired Wen $2 million to acquire the firearms and other items, and Wen told investigators that the North Koreans sought the weapons for an attack on neighboring South Korea.
With the proceeds from the illicit transactions, Wen was able to pay for an armory and a federal firearm license for $150,000, listing his partner’s name as the business owner for registration with the Texas secretary of state. In an effort to avoid detection by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Wen had others buy guns for him, authorities said. According to court documents, once the straw purchasers gave Wen the firearms, he transported them to California, packed the firearms into a shipping container, and shipped the container to China, knowing it would be transferred to North Korea. This case serves as a stark reminder of the potential for individuals to engage in activities with significant international consequences, while also highlighting the challenges faced in detecting and preventing such illicit activities.