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Feds allege Ontario man smuggled weapons to North Korea By Joe Taglieri joet@beaconmedianews.com
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ederal authorities arrested an Ontario resident Tuesday for allegedly shipped large quantities of weapons to North Korea for use in a "surprise attack on South Korea," officials announced Tuesday. Shenghua Wen, a 41-yearold Chinese national, and his co-conspirators exported at least two shipments of guns and ammunition to North Korea in 2023 by hiding the items inside shipping containers out of Long Beach through Hong Kong and on to North Korea, according to a criminal complaint unsealed Tuesday in Los Angeles federal court. "It is essential that we protect our country from hostile foreign states that have adverse interests to our nation," Martin Estrada, U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California, said in a
U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada announces charges against an Ontario resident for allegedly smuggling weapons to North Korea in violation of federal law. | Photo courtesy of US Attorney L.A./X
statement. "We have arrested a defendant who allegedly acted at the direction of the North Korean government by
conspiring to illegally ship firearms, ammunition and other military equipment to North Korea."
On Aug. 14, federal agents seized a chemical threat identification device and a hand-held receiver
that eavesdrops on transmissions from Wen's home, the U.S. Attorney's office reported. Wen admitted he
obtained the items to send to the North Korean government for military purposes. Wen, who allegedly remained in the U.S. illegally on an expired student visa issued in 2012, is charged with conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, a felony with a possible 20-year prison sentence. At his initial court appearance Tuesday in downtown LA, a judge ordered Wen detained. His arraignment was scheduled for Jan. 7. "The significance of this arrest and discovery of this scheme cannot be overstated," Akil Davis, the FBI's Los Angeles assistant director in charge, said at a news conference. "Not only did the investigative team prevent additional restricted items See Smuggling Page 15
Silicosis: Stone cutter sues, lawmaker chimes in on 'alarming rise' By Joe Taglieri joet@beaconmedianews.com
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professional stone cutter has sued multiple ex-employers in Southern California for allegedly facilitating the lung disease he acquired after years in the decorative countertop industry. Felipe Reyes' Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit filed Nov. 26 alleges fraud, negligence and product liability by several companies that operate in Sun Valley, Glendale, North Hollywood,
Anaheim and El Cajon. His wife Rosa Reyes claims loss of consortium, which refers to the loss or impairment of a personal relationship resulting from the actions of another party. The couple seek unspecified compensatory damages, and Felipe Reyes also seeks punitive damages. Last month, state Sen. Caroline Menjivar co-hosted a public meeting on silicosis in Canoga Park with health
| Image courtesy of RoloGL/DeviantArt (CC-BY-NC-ND 3.0)
experts and representatives from LA city, county and
workplace safety regulators from Cal/OSHA.
The senator's office noted a 2023 county Department of Public Health memorandum submitted to the Board of Supervisors that said, “The San Fernando Valley has become ground zero for silicosis cases in Los Angeles County.” According to the study, there is an inordinate amount of stone cutting and fabrication and other businesses related to silicaengineered stone that have concentrated in the SFV
region. At the time of the study 91 countertop workers had been diagnosed with silicosis in the state, with 50 receiving treatment at a Sylmar hospital in Menjivar's Senate District 20. In the second half of 2023, the California Department of Public Health reported a 92% increase in silicosis cases statewide, See Silicosis Page 27