Odd:
U.S. authorities have seized a North Korean ship used to sell coal allegedly in violation of international sanctions, the first such move by Justice Department officials as they ratchet up enforcement efforts against the regime in Pyongyang.
Justice Department officials on Thursday confirmed the Wise Honest is approaching U.S. territorial waters, with coordination of the U.S. Marshals and the Coast Guard.
“This sanctions-busting ship is now out of service,” Assistant Attorney General John Demers said in announcing the seizure.
I thought Trump had everything fixed with NoKo.
Frankensteinbeck
The Wise Honest! BWAHAHAHAHA. They should have named it Not A Smuggling Vessel, Honest.
Jharp
So what do you do with a 17,000 ton ship?
I don’t think I’d want it if it was offered to me for free
oatler.
The Wise Honest is a ship’s name?? When are they going to seize the Stable Genius?
James E Powell
Does China have an opinion on this kind of thing? Are they cool with the US getting heavy with the North Koreans?
trollhattan
Little Kim to resume missile tests pretty much right now. Trump’s fucking bored and wants to distract from, you know….
Gin & Tonic
John Bolton’s wet dream: war with Iran and NoKo.
rikyrah
nothing good will come of this.
nothing good
Gin & Tonic
I posted somewhere in a dying thread downstairs, the former Soviet countries are celebrating today, May 9, “victory over fascism” day (you may know it as V-E Day.)
Too bad it wasn’t a lasting victory.
MJS
Vlad: “Imbecile, you are in trouble. You need distraction. Seize North Korea ship. I cleared with Kim. Is okay. Will make you look strong.”
Trump: “What? I can’t do that! I’ve fixed things with North Korea.”
Vlad: “Jesus Christ, what an idiot. Someone get Pompeo on the phone.”
clay
Is it weird that the Justice Dept did this? That seems weird. Why are they in charge of enforcing sanctions against another country?
Another Scott
BBC News:
Hmmm…
Cheers,
Scott.
Gravenstone
@Another Scott: Well, this at least assuages my initial leap to the worst case; that this was a set up and that Kim’s regime had secreted something unpleasant on board. To be deployed on reaching US waters. Not sure which of the resident hyperbolic doomsayers is rubbing off on me more …
Cheryl Rofer
Ruviana
The ship name sounds extremely East Asian to me–probably sounds more normal in Korean than it does in English. I’m wondering about how Trump’s really good friend li’l Kim feels about it tho.
Mike in NC
The DPRK regime and the Trump family both have a long history of money laundering. That’s why Fat Bastard and Kim bonded so quickly.
dmsilev
Cargo of coal, huh? Probably wanted it so the Feds could burn it, just to piss off The Libs.
catclub
@Gin & Tonic: Two! Two land wars in Asia
matryoshka
@dmsilev: Trump needs that coal so he can put it back into the mountains and save the coal mining industry.
Wapiti
@Jharp: My childhood pastor related a story of bidding on a US Navy surplus destroyer. He and his college friends won the bid, and discovered the ship’s guns and engine had been removed. So they were staring at a bunch of old steel and soon-to-be mounting moorage fees. They were able to put together enough money for a tug company to tow it out past the Golden Gate and scuttle it.