The February 22 attack on the North Korean embassy in Madrid is turning into an international incident involving the CIA, FBI, and a Spanish judge who has issued international arrest warrants for the ringleaders who are believed to be in the United States.
In the attack, a group of ten men broke into the embassy, assaulted and handcuffed personnel, smashed photos of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, and stole computers. The men fled to Portugal, where they split up.
Judge José de la Mata, of Spain’s High Court, the Audiencia Nacional, is charging them with six crimes, including unlawful detention, violent robbery and criminal association.
The Washington Post reports that the group has offered to share information with the FBI, an odd action for a fugitive.
The US State Department deputy spokesman, Robert Palladino, said on Tuesday that “the government of the United States had nothing to do” with the break-in.
But with the alleged ringleader in America, the United States is now involved whether it likes it or not.
After EL PAÍS revealed that at least two of the assailants had been identified and had ties with the CIA, The Washington Post published an article ruling out the agency’s involvement and pointing at a small North Korean dissident group called Cheollima Civil Defense or Free Joseon, which had not claimed responsibility for the attack at that time.
