An undocumented immigrant who was involved in smuggling firearms, ammunition, and military equipment concealed in shipping containers to North Korea has been sentenced to eight years in prison.

Shenghua Wen, aged 42 and residing in Ontario near Los Angeles, was held in federal custody since December 2024. He pleaded guilty this June to charges of conspiracy to breach the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and serving as an unlawful agent for a foreign government.

A Chinese national, Wen arrived in the U.S. in 2012 on a student visa but continued staying illegally after the visa expired in December 2013, according to the Justice Department. Prior to his arrival in the U.S., Wen met North Korean diplomats in their embassy in China, where they requested his help in acquiring goods for the regime.

Federal prosecutors said agents seized devices from Wen’s home. (Justice Department)

Between January and April 2024, Wen corresponded with a U.S.-based agent, inquiring about purchasing a civilian aircraft engine. His phone also contained multiple texts regarding price negotiations for the aircraft and its engine.

North Korean representatives transferred $2 million to Wen for procuring firearms and other goods. Wen informed investigators that he presumed the weapons and ammunition were intended by the North Korean government for a potential offensive against South Korea.

Wen utilized the funds to acquire an armory and a federal firearm license costing $150,000, designating his associate as the business owner to complete the registration with the Texas Secretary of State.

In an effort to fly under the radar and avoid detection by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), he had others purchase firearms for him, authorities said. 

A North Korean flag flutters next to concertina wire at the North Korean embassy in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. A North Korean citizen was sentenced to 45 months in a U.S. prison Friday in connection with money laundering and other schemes to evade U.S. sanctions.  (REUTERS/Edgar Su)

“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 that it would be transferred to North Korea,” court documents state.