Former Engineer Accused of Derailing Train Near Hospital Ship Pleads Guilty to Terrorism Charge
Eduardo Moreno claimed that the vessel, which was docked at the Port of LA to treat coronavirus patients, was part of a conspiracy and possibly a “government takeover," authorities say.
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NBCLA
A man faces federal charges for trying to derail a train to crash into a US Navy ship that is set aside for coronavirus patients in San Pedro.
Eduardo Moreno of San Pedro, 45, entered his plea to a charge of committing a terrorist attack and other violence against railroad carriers and mass transportation systems, which carries a potential prison sentence of up to 20 years and lifetime supervised release, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
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Aerial view of the Hospital ship USNS Mercy docked at Naval Base San Diego on March 20, 2020 in San Diego, California. California (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
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The Military Sealift Command hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19) takes on supplies, March 20, 2020, at Naval Base San Diego. (Photo by Sarah Burford-U.S. Navy via Getty Images)
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The Military Sealift Command hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19) takes on supplies, March 20, 2020, at Naval Base San Diego. (Photo by Sarah Burford-U.S. Navy via Getty Images)
Senior Chief Mass Communication Specialist Mike Jones - U.S. Navy via Getty Images
Master-at-Arms 3rd Class Ashlee McCasland, Master-at-Arms 2nd Class Jonathan Shaw and Senior Chief Master-at-Arms Lou Canton prepare pallets of supplies to be loaded aboard the Military Sealift Command hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19) at Naval Base San Diego, March 21, 2020. (Photo by Senior Chief Mass Communication Specialist Mike Jones – U.S. Navy via Getty Images)
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Steve King, a Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southwest forklift driver, prepares to deliver pallets during a supply load aboard the Military Sealift Command hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19) at Naval Base San Diego, March 21, 2020. (Photo by Senior Chief Mass Communication Specialist Mike Jones – U.S. Navy via Getty Images)
Senior Chief Mass Communication Specialist Mike Jones - U.S. Navy via Getty Images
Steve King, a Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southwest forklift driver, prepares to deliver pallets during a supply load aboard the Military Sealift Command hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19) at Naval Base San Diego, March 21, 2020. (Photo by Senior Chief Mass Communication Specialist Mike Jones – U.S. Navy via Getty Images)
Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class David Mora Jr.
Rear Adm. Timothy Weber, commander of Naval Medical Forces Pacific, speaks to members of the press before the Military Sealift Command hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19) departs Naval Base San Diego, March 23, 2020. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class David Mora Jr./Released)
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LOS ANGELES, CA – MARCH 27: USNS Mercy arrived in the Port of Los Angeles, United States on March 27, 2020 at 8:40 A.M. Her mission is to provide relief for Southern California hospitals should they be overrun with coronavirus (COVID-19) cases. The men and women serving on the ship will remain onboard during the duration of this deployment. No one is allowed on or off the ship except for patients transferred for care. (Photo by Neal Waters/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
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LOS ANGELES, CA – MARCH 27: USNS Mercy arrived in the Port of Los Angeles, United States on March 27, 2020 at 8:40 A.M. Her mission is to provide relief for Southern California hospitals should they be overrun with coronavirus (COVID-19) cases. The men and women serving on the ship will remain onboard during the duration of this deployment. No one is allowed on or off the ship except for patients transferred for care. (Photo by Neal Waters/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
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SAN PEDRO, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 27: A woman watches from shore as the USNS Mercy Navy hospital ship arrives in the Port of Los Angeles to assist with the coronavirus pandemic on March 27, 2020 in San Pedro, California. The ship holds 1,000 beds which will be used to treat non-coronavirus patients in an effort to free up hospital beds for those suffering from COVID-19. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
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The US Navy hospital ship Mercy arrives March 27, 2020 at the Port of Los Angeles to help local hospitals amid the growing coronavirus crisis, in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Robyn Beck / AFP) (Photo by ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images)
However, Moreno's plea agreement states that the government intends to seek a sentence of about six-and-a-half years and restitution of $700,000 to be paid to Pacific Harbor Line, the railroad company at the port.
No one was injured in the March 31, 2020, incident and the USNS Mercy was not damaged. The Mercy was docked at the port in case it was needed to ease the strain on local hospitals during the coronavirus pandemic.
Moreno claimed that the vessel was docked at the port as part of a conspiracy, possibly a “government takeover.''
In an interview with FBI agents, Moreno stated that he ran the train off the track out of a desire to ``wake people up'' because the Mercy was “suspicious'' and not ‘what they say it's for,'' according to documents filed in Los Angeles federal court.
The train crash was witnessed by a California Highway Patrol officer, who took Moreno into custody as he fled the scene, federal prosecutors said.
The officer reported seeing “the train smash into a concrete barrier at the end of the track, smash into a steel barrier, smash into a chain-link fence, slide through a parking lot, slide across another lot filled with gravel and smash into a second chain-link fence,'' according to court papers.
Video shows where a train came to a stop after its engineer allegedly tried to crash it into the Navy hospital ship Mercy, docked at the Port of Los Angeles. Video broadcast Thursday April 2, 2020 on Today in LA.
When the CHP officer contacted Moreno, he made a series of spontaneous statements, including, “You only get this chance once. The whole world is watching. I had to. People don't know what's going on here. Now they will,''
according to court filings.
In his first interview with port police, Moreno admitted crashing the train, saying he was suspicious of the Mercy and believed it had an alternate purpose related to COVID-19, such as a “government takeover,'' prosecutors said.
Moreno stated that he acted alone and had not pre-planned the attack. While admitting to intentionally derailing and crashing the train, he said he knew it would bring media attention and “people could see for themselves,'' referring to the Mercy, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
The L.A. Port Police reviewed video recorded from the locomotive's cab, officials said. One video shows the train clearly moving at a high rate of speed before crashing through various barriers and coming into close proximity to three occupied vehicles. A second video shows Moreno in the cab holding a lighted flare, according to prosecutors.
The Mercy docked at the port on March 27, 2020. Its 1,000 hospital beds were used as a relief valve for Southland hospitals overrun with coronavirus patients. The hospital ship did not treat any COVID-19 patients.
