FBI officials embark on a vessel overseen by a company that previously experienced a catastrophe resulting in a collapsed bridge in Baltimore.
On Saturdays, representatives from the FBI and the U.S. Attorney's Office in Maryland announced that they had boarded the Maersk Saltoro. This vessel is overseen by Synergy Marine Group.
According to statements from both entities, the FBI, EPA's Criminal Investigation Division, and Coast Guard Investigative Services are currently on board the Maersk Saltoro, conducting authorized law enforcement operations under a court order.
Unfortunately, authorities did not disclose any additional details.
In a lawsuit filed on Wednesday, the U.S. Justice Department accused Dali owner Grace Ocean Private Ltd., based in Singapore, along with its manager Synergy Marine Group, of negligence. They allegedly disregarded recognized electrical issues on the vessel, leading to a power failure just before the boat collided with a key support column on the Francis Scott Key Bridge in March.
The estimated $100 million spent by the government on clearing underwater debris and reopening the city's port is what the Justice Department aims to recoup. They labeled the incident as entirely preventable.
In response to a request for comment regarding agents boarding the Maersk Saltoro, Darrell Wilson, a spokesperson for Grace Ocean, remained silent. He previously asserted that their team is eager to present their side of the story during the court proceedings regarding the Justice Department's lawsuit.
Wednesday's lawsuit marks the U.S. government's initial enforcement action following the Dali, a massive 984-foot-long, 213-million-pound container ship, which collided with a vital support column that the Key Bridge relied on to remain stable. As a result of this catastrophe, six overnight laborers, primarily immigrants, working on bridge repairs, lost their lives.
Hannah Rabinowitz of CNN contributed to this report.
(Paraphrasing while maintaining original formatting)
The FBI and the U.S. Attorney's Office, acting on behalf of us, conducted operations on the Maersk Saltoro due to the vessel-related incident. Darrell Wilson, speaking for Grace Ocean and Synergy Marine Group, has remained silent about the agents boarding their ship.
