A Chinese national living illegally in Ontario was arrested Tuesday for sending guns, ammunition and military equipment to North Korea through shipping containers out of Long Beach, federal prosecutors allege.
Shenghua Wen, 41, was charged with conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, the United States Department of Justice said in a news release.
According to prosecutors, Wen overstayed a student visa, making him legally unable to possess guns or ammunition. Despite that, he and his co-conspirators “exported shipments of firearms and ammunition to North Korea by concealing the items inside shipping containers that were shipped from Long Beach through Hong Kong to North Korea,” the DOJ said.
Items seized include about 50,000 rounds of 9 mm ammunition, a device to identify chemical threats and a hand-held broadband receiver that detects eavesdropping devices, authorities said.
The U.S. DOJ provided these undated images of weapons and military equipment that Shenghua Wen allegedly tried to illegally send to North Korea. 
The U.S. DOJ provided these undated images of weapons and military equipment that Shenghua Wen allegedly tried to illegally send to North Korea. 
The U.S. DOJ provided these undated images of weapons and military equipment that Shenghua Wen allegedly tried to illegally send to North Korea. 
The U.S. DOJ provided these undated images of weapons and military equipment that Shenghua Wen allegedly tried to illegally send to North Korea. 
The U.S. DOJ provided these undated images of weapons and military equipment that Shenghua Wen allegedly tried to illegally send to North Korea.
In the release, FBI Los Angeles Assistant Director in Charge Akil Davis said that “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,” Davis explained. “I’m proud of the hard work that went into building the case against Wen by dedicated agents and our partners who specialize in cases that involve illegal exports to foreign adversaries who evade sanctions and utilize weapons and technology for nefarious purposes.”
Wen is expected to make his first court appearance Tuesday afternoon in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles, with his arraignment likely a few weeks away.
If convicted, Wen could be sentenced to 20 years in federal prison.
