Posted on September 23, 2024
BALTIMORE, MD — Federal authorities on Saturday boarded a vessel managed by the company whose other ship struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge in March and caused a span to collapse into the river below.
In statements to The Associated Press, spokespeople for the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Maryland confirmed that authorities boarded the Maersk Saltoro. The ship is managed by Synergy Marine Group.
“The Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division and Coast Guard Investigative Services are present aboard the Maersk Saltoro conducting court-authorized law enforcement activity,” statements from both the FBI and U.S. Attorney’s Office said Saturday morning.
Authorities did not offer further specifics. The Washington Post first reported on federal authorities boarding the ship.
The raid came several months after federal officials conducted a similar search on the Dali, the massive container ship that struck the Baltimore harbor bridge, killing six road construction workers and halting maritime traffic for weeks.
Earlier this week, the Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against Synergy Marine Group and Dali owners Grace Ocean Private Ltd., seeking to recover more than $100 million that the government spent to clear the underwater debris and reopen the Port of Baltimore.
In the lawsuit, federal prosecutors said both companies recklessly cut corners and ignored known electrical problems on the vessel, which lost power multiple times minutes before it crashed into one of the bridge’s support columns.
The Justice Department said mechanical and electrical systems on the massive ship had been “jury-rigged” 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.
In new documents released earlier this month, investigators with the National Transporation Safety Board said they discovered a loose cable on the Dali that may have caused electrical issues on the ship.
When disconnected, the cable could have triggered an electrical blackout on the ship similar to what happened as it approached the bridge, according to the documents.
The documents did not include any analysis or conclusions, which will be released later in the board’s final report. The final National Transportation Safety Board report could take one or two years to complete.
Family members of three workers killed in the collapse also filed a lawsuit this week against Synergy Marine Group and Grace Ocean Private Ltd.
At the news conference, family members described the tragedy as “deadly negligence,” NBC Washington reported. In the lawsuit, the families are requesting an unspecified amount of money, as well as work permits to be able to “live with dignity in the United States.”
