U.S. authorities seized a North Korean ship they allege Pyongyang used to illicitly transport coal in violation of U.S. and international sanctions, the Justice Department said.
Officials said the seizure, which was disclosed on Thursday, was the first such U.S. action against North Korea for sanctions violations.
The announcement came hours after North Korea launched two suspected short-range missiles, marking the Kim regime’s second weapons test in less than a week amid stalled nuclear talks with Washington. Justice Department officials said there was no connection between the timing of the ship seizure and themissile launches.
