The FBI’s pages about them are here:
- https://web.archive.org/web/20220526125526/https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/counterintelligence/alejandro-cao-de-benos
- https://web.archive.org/web/20220526125457/https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/counterintelligence/christopher-douglas-emms/
This post’s main link goes to a archive.ph snapshot because javascript on nknews.org irritatingly blocks privacy browsers and incognito mode (even on archive.org); the original URL is https://www.nknews.org/2022/05/fbi-releases-wanted-posters-for-two-men-accused-of-aiding-north-korea/
Here is a previous lemmy thread about the sentencing of Virgil Griffith back in April: https://lemmy.ml/post/228220
I still find it fucking wild that the US can have non-Americans arrested “because the US said so, then it must be done”
Psychopathic shit. The international order is a fascist farce.
Alejandro is based af.
I’m quite familiar with this case and can provide more context.
Alejandro Cao De Benos is the leader of the Korean Friendship Association, a rather significant organization that started as a fan club but is now one of the exclusive ways to get tours in North Korea, among other things.
There is ample evidence that Alejandro Cao De Benos is tight with the NK government and there is credible evidence he tried to broker an arms deal to evade international sanctions and sell North Korean made weapons.
Christopher Douglas Emms on the other hand is a high ranking member of the Korean Friendship Association. Together with Alejandro, they brought 5 or so crypto enthusiasts to North Korea, and then after they arrived, told the crypto enthusiasts they each had to make a presentation. One of the enthusiasts got side tracked and started talking about mixers, a way to conceal the true source of funds.
It is likely they honestly wanted to just bring some crypto experts in and didn’t expect it to be a big deal, and the reality is the information these enthusiasts gave DPRK is insignificant. However, it really was just the straw that broke the camel’s back and allowed the FBI to rain down harsh charges against the indisputable evidence.
To summarize, these two were stirring the pot long before the crypto thing happened.
Alejandro is a communist and therefore he is sympathetic to the DPRK’s cause, if you think this is stirring the pot then you might as well murder every single member of a communist party. The IEEPA is a law used to legalize the prosecution of the imperial core’s enemies, trying to avoid the unjust and horrid sanctions on the DPRK shouldn’t be something that ruins people’s lives.
So no, Alejandro is not simply someone sympathetic to DPRK’s cause, he is someone who even self proclaims to be part of DPRK’s highest ministry (and given the amount of power he has with international relations, there is no reason to doubt that).
I live in Korea and have observed the work KFA has been doing for a long time now, everything from their public propaganda videos to talking with some of the members. I’m not picking a side in all this, I’m just stating the facts.
He is not part of the DPRK’S highest ministry, the only article where I managed to find any official relationship with the DPRK’s bureau is here and it states the following:
Este hombre, que fue noticia el pasado año por su presunta relación con una trama de tráfico de armas, ostenta para el gobierno de Kim Jong-Un el cargo no oficial de Delegado especial del Comité de Relaciones Culturales en el Extranjero de la República Democrática Popular de Corea.
The man, who made headlines last year for his alleged involvement in an arms trafficking scheme, holds the unofficial post of Special Delegate of the DPRK’s Overseas Cultural Relations Committee for the Kim Jong-Un government.
The English Wikipedia page does not contain a source when it claims:
He is, according to himself, also the Special Delegate of North Korea’s Committee for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries.
On the contrary, the Spanish Wikipedia page cites the newspaper I mentioned earlier, but still it does not include the important word “unofficial” in it.
Es Delegado especial del Comité de Relaciones Culturales en el Extranjero de la República Democrática Popular de Corea.
He is a special delegate of the Overseas Cultural Relations Committee of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
Both English and Spanish Wikipedia pages claim it is according to himself, where in the article the one writing the piece is who credits him with that role.
From what we can gather from this, either the journalist gave him a fake honorary title, or Alejandro is lying, or the first happened and he went along with it, but there are no conclusive evidence he has any significant position withing the DPRK’s hierarchy, sure, his work with the KFA has greatly helped them and I am sure he is an interesting figure for North Koreans, but that’s it.
You did some good research so I’ll show where I got my info - These are some clips I have on my laptop (I also have others) of Alejandro being taped without knowing it (no audio unfortunately)
First clip: https://gyazo.com/714cf5e7e6a761539183c207209aeb5c
Try to follow the lips, he’s saying “I hold positions which I cannot tell you in our country”
Second clip: https://gyazo.com/1f42fa9434b8dfb9f63cff1a6d777cb0
He’s saying “it’s a ministry which is over all the other ministries”
I incorrectly assumed this was common/public knowledge by now but based on your research it’s not
