A secret U.S. Navy SEAL mission in early 2019 to plant a surveillance device inside North Korea reportedly ended in failure after SEALs fired on unarmed civilians, according to a New York Times investigation.
The operation, allegedly approved by President Donald Trump, was carried out by SEAL Team 6’s Red Squadron — the same unit that killed Osama Bin Laden.
The mission aimed to intercept communications from dictator Kim Jong Un ahead of Trump’s summit with Kim in Vietnam.
Mission Approval and Planning
Because of the risks, the plan required Trump’s direct authorization.
Discovery on North Korean soil could have derailed nuclear talks or triggered a hostage crisis.
The SEALs trained for months in freezing water, preparing to deploy from a U.S. submarine using stealth “wet subs” before swimming to shore to plant the listening device.
Botched Operation
In February 2019, just before the Trump–Kim summit, the mission commenced.
But once ashore, SEALs encountered a North Korean fishing boat.
Without communication to higher command and fearing detection, one SEAL opened fire, and others followed.