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.