{"id":2344350,"date":"2024-09-21T18:34:55","date_gmt":"2024-09-21T22:34:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fbi-agents-board-vessel-owned-by-same-company-behind-cargo-ship-that-collapsed-the-baltimore-bridge\/"},"modified":"2024-09-21T18:39:19","modified_gmt":"2024-09-21T22:39:19","slug":"fbi-agents-board-vessel-owned-by-same-company-behind-cargo-ship-that-collapsed-the-baltimore-bridge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fbi-agents-board-vessel-owned-by-same-company-behind-cargo-ship-that-collapsed-the-baltimore-bridge\/","title":{"rendered":"FBI Agents Board Vessel Owned by Same Company Behind Cargo Ship That Collapsed the Baltimore Bridge"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">32<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ffbi-agents-board-vessel-owned-by-same-company-behind-cargo-ship-that-collapsed-the-baltimore-bridge%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2344350&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Federal agents, \u200bincluding the FBI \u2064and U.S. Coast Guard, \u200cboarded the Maersk Saltoro cargo ship on Saturday as part\u200d of a \u2063law enforcement \u2062investigation linked \u2064to the Baltimore bridge collapse caused by \u200banother vessel, \u2064the Dali. The Maersk Saltoro is \u2063managed by Synergy Marine Group, the same company overseeing \u2063the Dali, \u2064which has been accused of negligence related to the incident that resulted in six fatalities. <\/p>\n<p>The U.S. Justice Department&#8217;s lawsuit against the \u2064owners of the Dali alleges\u2062 that they recklessly ignored\u2063 known electrical \u200bissues and \u2062compromised the vessel&#8217;s maintenance, leading to power outages that \u2064contributed to the bridge&#8217;s collapse in March. In the aftermath,\u2064 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/us-sends-forces-to-middle-east-in-response-to-iranian-attacks-on-commercial-ships\/\" title=\"US deploys troops to Middle East after Iranian attacks on ships.\">commercial\u2062 shipping<\/a> \u200bat the Port of Baltimore was severely disrupted, and\u200d the government is \u2062seeking to recover over $100 million spent on recovery efforts.<\/p>\n<p>The \u200blawsuit <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/president-trump-announces-class-action-lawsuit-against-google-youtube-twitter-and-their-ceos\/\" title=\"President Trump announces class action lawsuit against Google, YouTube, Twitter and their CEOs\">seeks punitive damages<\/a> \u2062and aims to prevent\u200c further reckless behavior from the vessel operators, as they own a similar ship currently operating in \u2063U.S. waters. The investigation is ongoing, and there are questions regarding the potential for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/alleged-waukesha-killer-charged-with-5-counts-of-intentional-homicide-alleged-social-media-posts-show-extreme-views-reports\/\" title=\"Alleged Waukesha Killer Charged With 5 Counts Of Intentional Homicide, Alleged Social Media Posts Show Extreme Views: Reports\">additional criminal charges<\/a>.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<section> <script>console.log(\"ad slot (AC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC2)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC3)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC4)\")<\/script><\/p>\n<p>Federal agents on Saturday boarded a vessel managed by the same company as a cargo ship that caused the deadly <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/fbi-opens-criminal-investigation-baltimore-bridge-collapse-boards-ship\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Baltimore bridge collapse<\/a>, the FBI confirmed.<\/p>\n<p>In statements, spokespeople for the FBI and the U.S. Attorney&rsquo;s Office in Maryland confirmed that authorities boarded the Maersk Saltoro. The ship is managed by Synergy Marine Group.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency&rsquo;s Criminal Investigation Division and Coast Guard Investigative Services are present aboard the Maersk Saltoro conducting court authorized law enforcement activity,&rdquo; statements from both the FBI and U.S. Attorney&rsquo;s Office said Saturday morning.<\/p>\n<p>Authorities did not offer further specifics. The Washington Post first reported on federal authorities boarding the ship.<\/p>\n<p>The raid came several months after investigators conducted a similar search of the Dali, the cargo ship that crashed into the bridge.<\/p>\n<p>  <script> \t\t\t\tif( ! getCookie( 'ff_subbed' ) ) if( typeof FFADS.replace_ict !='undefined' ) if( FFADS.replace_ict ) eval( FFADS.replace_ict ); \t\t\t<\/script> <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/baltimore-bridge-collapse-justice-department-lawsuit-5a7b3d6a3f7ea04828bf7801df07a34e\">In a lawsuit filed Wednesday<\/a>, the U.S. Justice Department alleged that Dali owner Grace Ocean Private Ltd. and manager Synergy Marine, both of Singapore, recklessly cut corners and ignored known electrical problems on the vessel, which lost power multiple times minutes before it crashed into a support column on the Francis Scott Key Bridge in March.<\/p>\n<p>The Justice Department said mechanical and electrical systems on the massive ship had been &ldquo;jury-rigged&rdquo; and improperly maintained, culminating in the power outages and a cascade of other failures that left its pilots and crew helpless in the face of looming disaster. The ship was leaving Baltimore for Sri Lanka when its steering failed because of the power loss.<\/p>\n<p>Six members of a road work crew <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/baltimore-bridge-collapse-honduras-mexico-guatamala-victims-ac79dd7413b948c635549ef1845c6d22\">were killed<\/a> when the bridge crumbled into the water. The collapse also snarled commercial shipping traffic through the Port of Baltimore for months before the channel <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/baltimore-bridge-collapse-reopen-port-51b1fa8e46f58ca93e1fc7b2be7f27b6\">was fully reopened in June<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The Justice Department is seeking to recover more than $100 million the government spent to clear the underwater debris and reopen the city&rsquo;s port.<\/p>\n<p>The companies filed a court petition days after the collapse seeking to limit their legal liability in what could become the most expensive marine casualty case in history. Justice Department officials said there is no legal support for that bid to limit liability and pledged to vigorously contest it.<\/p>\n<p>In its lawsuit, which also seeks punitive damages, the Justice Department argued that vessel owners and operators need to be &ldquo;deterred from engaging in such reckless and exceedingly harmful behavior.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>That includes Grace Ocean and Synergy themselves because the Dali has a &ldquo;sister ship,&rdquo; authorities wrote in the claim.<\/p>\n<p>The two companies &ldquo;need to be deterred because they continue to operate their vessels, including a sister ship to the Dali, in U.S. waters and benefit economically from those activities,&rdquo; the lawsuit says.<\/p>\n<p>Darrell Wilson, a Grace Ocean spokesperson, confirmed that the FBI and Coast Guard boarded the Maersk Saltoro in the Port of Baltimore on Saturday morning. Wilson has previously said the owner and manager &ldquo;look forward to our day in court to set the record straight.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Like the Dali, the Singapore-flagged Saltoro was built by Hyundai in 2015.<\/p>\n<p>According to the Justice Department lawsuit, major issues with the Dali&rsquo;s electrical system may have resulted from excessive vibrations on the ship that can loosen wires and damage connections. A prior captain of the vessel had reported &ldquo;heavy vibration&rdquo; in his handover notes in May 2023, saying he had made similar reports to Synergy in the past, according to the complaint.<\/p>\n<p>The lawsuit noted cracked equipment in the engine room and pieces of cargo shaken loose. The ship&rsquo;s electrical equipment was in such bad condition that an independent agency stopped further electrical testing because of safety concerns, according to the lawsuit.<\/p>\n<p>The ship had also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/police-identify-victims-of-fatal-hot-air-balloon-crash-in-new-mexico\/\" title=\"Police identify victims of fatal hot air balloon crash in New Mexico\">experienced power outages<\/a> while it was still docked in Baltimore. Those blackouts are considered &ldquo;reportable marine casualties&rdquo; that must be reported to the U.S. Coast Guard, which authorities say never happened.<\/p>\n<p>The Dali, which was stuck amid the wreckage of the collapse for months before it could be <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/baltimore-bridge-collapse-ship-refloating-83dde05d3ad999c88dd5270bb0cea1c6\">extricated and refloated<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/baltimore-bridge-collapse-inspector-survived-630ddcd3d7aea636bafaf2e7b68f28f0\">departed Norfolk, Virginia<\/a>, on Thursday afternoon enroute to China on its first international voyage since the March 26 disaster.<\/p>\n<p>Justice Department officials refused to answer questions Wednesday about whether a criminal investigation into the bridge collapse remains ongoing. <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/baltimore-bridge-collapse-fbi-investiagation-58188d524035c756872603055f309c78\">FBI agents boarded the Dali<\/a> in April.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-style: italic;\">The Western Journal has not reviewed this Associated Press story prior to publication. Therefore, it may contain editorial bias or may in some other way not meet our normal editorial standards. It is provided to our readers as a service from The Western Journal.<\/p>\n<div style=\"position: relative;\">\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\">  <\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-submit-correction inner-content\">\n<div class=\"correction-form\">\n<form style=\"display: none;\">\n<div class=\"sc-name-field\"> <label>* Name<\/label> <br \/> <input type=\"text\" name=\"name\" required> <\/div>\n<div class=\"sc--field\"> <label>* <\/label> <br \/> <input type=\"text\" name=\"\" required> <\/div>\n<p> <label>* Message<\/label> <br \/> <textarea name=\"message\" required><\/textarea>  <\/p>\n<div class=\"required-message\" style=\"display: none; padding-bottom: 15px;\">* All fields are required.<\/div>\n<p> <input type=\"submit\" value=\"Submit\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault(); firefly_sc();\">  <\/p>\n<div class=\"firefly-sc-confirm\" style=\"display: none;\">Success!<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> <script> \t\t\tfunction firefly_sc() { \t\t\t\tif( typeof window.captchaPublicKey==typeof undefined ){ \t\t\t\t\tconsole.error('window.captchaPublicKey is not defined'); \t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\tgrecaptcha.execute( window.captchaPublicKey, { action: 'submit_correction' } ).then( function( token ) { \t\t\t\t\tvar opts={ \t\t\t\t\t\taction:    'firefly_sc_submit', \t\t\t\t\t\tname:      document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"name\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\t:     document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tmessage:   document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"message\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id:   firefly_post_id, \t\t\t\t\t\tcap_token: token \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tvar inputs=[ 'name', '', 'message' ];  \t\t\t\t\tfor( var i=0; i <inputs.length; i++ ) if( ! ( opts[inputs[i]]=document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"' + inputs[i] + '\"]' ).value ) ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .required-message' ).style.display='block'; \t\t\t\t\t\treturn; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction input[type=\"submit\"]' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).src=firefly_loading_gif_url; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='inline-block';  \t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( 'ma subbing' );  \t\t\t\t\tif( firefly_post_id ) opts['post_id']=firefly_post_id;  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Send the data using post with element id name and name2*\/ \t\t\t\t\tvar posting=jQuery.post( firefly_ajax_url, opts );  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Alerts the results *\/ \t\t\t\t\tposting.done( function( response ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif( response.success ) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( response.data ); \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-confirm' ).style.display='block';  \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdataLayer.push( { 'event': 'submit-correction' } ); \t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script>  <\/div>\n<p style=\"border: 1px solid #f5f5f5; padding: 16px;\">Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/advertise-us\/?wj_source=article\">Advertise Today<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><script>console.log(\"ad slot (BA1)\")<\/script> <\/p>\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\">  <\/div>\n<style> \t\t\t \t\t\t.insticator-unit.type-commenting{margin: 0 10px 25px 10px}@media screen and (max-width:1060px){#div-insticator-ad-cmt-1, #div-insticator-ad-cmt-2, #div-insticator-ad-cmt-3, #div-insticator-ad-cmt-4{margin: 0 auto 25px auto !important;}}#div-insticator-ad-cmt-1, #div-insticator-ad-cmt-2, #div-insticator-ad-cmt-3, #div-insticator-ad-cmt-4{height: 280px !important; width: 336px !important} \t\t<\/style>\n<div class=\"insticator-unit type-commenting\">\n<div class=\"insticator-ads\">   <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\"> \t\t\t\t\tif ( ! getCookie( \"ff_subbed\" ) ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tInsticator.ad.loadAd(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-1\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tInsticator.ad.loadAd(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-2\"); \t\t\t\t\t} else { \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-1\").remove() \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-2\").remove() \t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t<\/script> <\/div>\n<div class=\"insticator-ads additional\">   <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\"> \t\t\t\t\tif ( ! getCookie( \"ff_subbed\" ) ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tInsticator.ad.loadAd(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-3\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tInsticator.ad.loadAd(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-4\"); \t\t\t\t\t} else { \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-3\").remove() \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-4\").remove() \t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t<\/script> <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Federal agents boarded a ship on Saturday that is managed by the same company responsible for the cargo vessel involved in the fatal Baltimore bridge collapse, as confirmed by the FBI. Representatives from both the FBI and the U.S. Attorney\u2019s Office in Maryland stated that they were conducting court-authorized law enforcement activities aboard the Maersk Saltoro, which is operated by Synergy Marine Group. Specific details about their actions were not disclosed. The Washington Post was first to report this development, which follows a similar search of another cargo ship, Dali, that crashed into a bridge.<\/p>\n<p>In a lawsuit filed on Wednesday, the U.S. Justice Department accused Grace Ocean Private Ltd., owner of Dali, and its manager Synergy Marine of recklessly neglecting known electrical issues on the vessel prior to its crash into a support column of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in March. The lawsuit claims that mechanical and electrical systems on Dali were poorly maintained and &#8220;jury-rigged,&#8221; leading to power failures that left crew members unable to avert disaster as they departed Baltimore for Sri Lanka.<\/p>\n<p>The tragic incident resulted in six fatalities among road workers when part of the bridge collapsed into water below and disrupted commercial shipping traffic at Baltimore&#8217;s port for several months until it fully reopened in June. The Justice Department seeks over $100 million from these companies to cover costs associated with clearing debris and reopening operations at the port.<\/p>\n<p>Following this incident, both companies sought legal measures to limit their liability amid what could become one of history&#8217;s most costly marine casualty cases; however, officials from the Justice Department have indicated there is no legal basis for such requests and intend to challenge them vigorously. Their lawsuit also aims for punitive damages against Grace Ocean and Synergy due to ongoing operations involving vessels similar to Dali within U.S. waters.<\/p>\n<p>Darrell Wilson, representing Grace Ocean, acknowledged that federal agents boarded Maersk Saltoro at Baltimore&#8217;s port on Saturday morning while expressing eagerness for their day in court to clarify matters surrounding these events.<\/p>\n<p>Like Dali, Maersk Saltoro was constructed by Hyundai in 2015; significant issues with Dali\u2019s electrical system may stem from excessive vibrations damaging connections onboard\u2014a concern previously noted by past captains who reported heavy vibrations during handovers earlier this year.<\/p>\n<p>The lawsuit highlights various equipment failures within Dali\u2019s engine room along with safety concerns prompting an independent agency halting further electrical testing due to poor conditions observed onboard\u2014conditions reportedly leading up even before docking at Baltimore where power outages occurred without being reported as required marine casualties per Coast Guard regulations.<\/p>\n<p>Dali remained trapped amidst wreckage following its collision until it could be salvaged months later; it recently set sail again towards China after departing Norfolk last Thursday\u2014its first international journey since March 26th disaster struck.<br \/>\nJustice Department representatives declined comment regarding whether an ongoing criminal investigation related remains active following previous boardings conducted back in April involving FBI agents inspecting Dali directly<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2344351,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/30e4c053b29e43b997a38578afb1c9c9-e1726949659683-817x429.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[4967,35910,5591,14389],"class_list":["post-2344350","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-agents","tag-cargo-ship","tag-fbi","tag-vessel"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/30e4c053b29e43b997a38578afb1c9c9-e1726949659683-817x429.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2344350","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2344350"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2344350\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2344351"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2344350"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2344350"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2344350"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}