WASHINGTON – U. S. authorities have seized one of North Korea’s largest cargo ships in connection with a scheme to illicitly export tons of coal in…
WASHINGTON – U. S. authorities have seized one of North Korea’s largest cargo ships in connection with a scheme to illicitly export tons of coal in violation of international sanctions, Justice Department officials said Thursday.
The 17,061-ton carrier, known as the Wise Honest, also was used to smuggle heavy machinery into the rogue nation to assist its industrial expansion. Though federal authorities said the enormous coal exports have been used to finance North Korea’s nuclear proliferation and ballistic missile programs.
The civil action taken by the U. S. government involves the first such seizure of a North Korean cargo vessel linked to sanction violations.
« This sanctions-busting ship is now out of service, » said Assistant Attorney General John Demers, chief of Justice’s National Security Division.
The Justice Department action is all but certain to inflame tensions between the U. S. and North Korea and comes as American defense officials were closely monitoring North Korea’s launch of short-range missiles for the second time in less than a week.
The latest volley of projectiles were fired Thursday from near a military base about 50 miles from North Korea’s capital Pyongyang, according to South Korea’s military.
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State media in North Korea said that on Saturday the nation held a short-range ballistic missile test as part of a regularly scheduled defensive military exercise.
