FBI Agents Board Ship Operated by Firm Linked to Baltimore Bridge Collapse

Federal agents have boarded a ship operated by Synergy Marine Group, the same company that managed a cargo ship implicated in the deadly Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore in March, according to confirmations from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Spokespeople for the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Maryland confirmed to the Associated Press on Saturday the inspection of the ship named the Maersk Saltoro in the Port of Baltimore. The authorities did not provide additional details about the operation. The Washington Post first reported on federal authorities boarding the ship early Saturday morning.
“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,” the statements read.
The Washington Post reported that its journalists “watched as officials, some wearing jackets with FBI insignia and hard hats, later pulled up in unmarked black SUVs and white sedans, then waited in line on the dock outside the ship.”
When reached via email by Newsweek Saturday afternoon, the FBI national press office deferred additional comments to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland. Newsweek has emailed the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office and Synergy Marine Group for additional comments.
This week, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed a lawsuit in response to the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, claiming the disaster was “entirely avoidable” and now seeks $100 million to cover cleanup costs from Grace Ocean Private Ltd. and manager Synergy Marine Group, both of Singapore.
The bridge collapsed on March 26 after a cargo ship named Dali lost power and struck the bridge, resulting in the deaths of six maintenance workers. It took six weeks for authorities to recover the bodies of all who died in the collapse, and the FBI and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have since launched an investigation into the collapse.
The crew members aboard Dali were uninjured in the collapse.
Darrell Wilson, a spokesperson for Grace Ocean, affirmed that the FBI and Coast Guard embarked on the Maersk Saltoro in Baltimore’s port on Saturday morning.
The DOJ’s lawsuit comes after the NTSB released a preliminary report in May about the vessel that hit the Francis Scott Key Bridge, including details on the ship’s electrical outages and power loss a day prior.
The NTSB worked with the Maryland Transportation Authority, Synergy Marine Group, Grace Ocean Private Limited, Federal Highway Administration, Association of Maryland Pilots, Nippon Kaiji Kyokai, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, and Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore on the investigation.
The Dali, a 947-foot-long Singapore-flagged cargo vessel, was moving out of the Baltimore Harbor shortly before 1:30 a.m. on March 26. It contained 4,680 containers of cargo and was headed to Colombo, Sri Lanka. The captain reported the ship was in working order during the master/pilot exchange, according to the preliminary report.
At 1:25 a.m., the Dali was 0.6 miles, or three ship lengths, from the Francis Scott Key Bridge when “electrical breakers that most of the vessel’s equipment and lighting unexpectedly opened (tripped),” according to the report. Four minutes later, the Dali struck the pier of the bridge at 6.5 knots, or about 7.5 miles per hour.
The U.S. Coast Guard classified the accident as a major marine casualty.
Almost 60 of the 4,680 containers on the vessel contained hazardous materials. The NTSB identified 14 of those that may have been damaged when the bridge was struck.
The bridge failure has not only disrupted transportation but also raised serious concerns about infrastructure management and accountability.
Wilson has maintained that the ship’s owner and manager are prepared to “set the record straight” in court.
There are currently plans underway to rebuild the Francis Scott Key Bridge, a project expected to last until 2028, which Maryland officials from the Department of Transportation estimated will cost between $1.7 billion and $1.9 billion, according to the AP.
Update: 9/21/24, 2:32 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with more information.
Update: 9/21/24, 12:16 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with more information.
Update: 9/21/24, 1:17 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with more information.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.