Chinese National Pleads Guilty to Illegally Exporting Weapons and Military Technology to North Korea

A Chinese national pleaded guilty to shipping weapons, ammunition and other sensitive items to North Korea from the United States, the U.S. Justice Department announced Monday

A Chinese citizen living in California has pleaded guilty to federal charges for illegally exporting firearms, ammunition, and sensitive military technology to North Korea in a scheme orchestrated by Pyongyang officials, the U.S. Justice Department announced.

Shengua Wen, 42, admitted to smuggling weapons and equipment worth approximately $2 million while acting as an agent of the North Korean government. Prosecutors revealed that Wen, who resided in Ontario, California, without permanent legal status, concealed the illicit shipments inside cargo containers departing from the Port of Long Beach.

According to court documents, Wen purchased a Houston-based firearms business in 2023 to acquire weapons, then falsified export paperwork to disguise shipments bound for North Korea via China. His illegal activities included procuring 60,000 rounds of 9mm ammunition in September 2024, along with advanced detection devices such as a chemical threat identifier and a handheld broadband receiver capable of intercepting communications.

Prosecutors stated that Wen coordinated with North Korean officials at an embassy in China before entering the U.S. on a student visa in 2012. He remained in the country illegally after his visa expired in 2013.

Wen pleaded guilty to violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and acting as an illegal foreign agent, charges that carry a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison. He has been detained since his arrest in December 2023.

"The defendant knowingly violated U.S. sanctions by supplying North Korea with weapons and sensitive technology," prosecutors said in a statement.

Sentencing is pending as authorities continue to investigate the smuggling network.