A North Korean cargo ship seized by the US because of suspicion it was used to violate international sanctions arrived Saturday at the capital of this American territory.
The Wise Honest was slowly towed to the port of Pago Pago during a cloudy Saturday morning and docked at the main docking section of the port that afternoon.
The trip from Indonesia took about three weeks and American Samoa, in the South Pacific, was chosen because of "its central strategic location," US Coast Guard public affairs officer Amanda Wyrick said.
"We also have a good strong relationship and partnership with the American Samoan government," Wyrick said. "With that being said, we also already have the resources that are able to ensure the security of the vessel but most importantly the Port of Pago Pago."
Asked as to how long the ship will be in the territory, Wyrick said the US Department of Justice is "leading the investigation so they will be conducting that. Upon the conclusion of the investigation, the ship will be moved."
"I do know that, we have a marine and safety security team here from Honolulu," Wyrick said. "We're conducting random patrols, also conducting inspection of the vessel and the Port of Pago Pago, keep an eye on things such as security breaches or vandalization of the ship itself."
"We especially in the Coast Guard, we understand the importance of the port. It's a lifeline in getting goods to the islands," Wyrick said. "So we want to make sure that we're doing everything we can, to make sure that there's absolutely no disruption to the flow of commerce coming in and out."
The US government dispatched to the territory an inspection team to the ship before it docked in Pago Pago, she said. Wyrick noted there was an inspection conducted before leaving Indonesia and, because the ship has been at sea for three weeks, "it's subject to the elements."
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