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topicnews · September 21, 2024

FBI agents board ship belonging to the shipping company whose ship caused the Baltimore bridge to collapse

FBI agents board ship belonging to the shipping company whose ship caused the Baltimore bridge to collapse

Baltimore – The FBI confirmed that federal agents have boarded a ship operated by the same shipping company as the cargo ship that caused the deadly bridge collapse in Baltimore.

Spokespeople for the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Maryland confirmed in statements Saturday that authorities had boarded the Maersk Saltoro, a ship managed by Synergy Marine Group.

“The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division, and Coast Guard Investigative Services are present on board the Maersk Saltoro and are conducting court-authorized law enforcement activities,” said statements from both the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

The authorities did not provide any further details.

In a lawsuit filed Wednesday, the U.S. Justice Department alleged that Dali’s owner Grace Ocean Private Ltd. and manager Synergy Marine Group, both of Singapore, recklessly cut corners on quality and ignored known electrical problems on the vessel, which caused a power outage shortly before the ship struck a support pillar on the Francis Scott Key Bridge in March.

The Justice Department is trying to recoup the more than $100 million the government spent to clean up the underwater debris and reopen the city’s harbor.

Darrell Wilson, a spokesman for Grace Ocean, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the agents who boarded the Maersk Saltoro. He had previously said the owner and manager “look forward to our day in court to set the record straight” regarding the Justice Department’s lawsuit.

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