The FBI’s pages about them are here:
- https://web.archive.org/web/20220526125526/https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/counterintelligence/alejandro-cao-de-benos
- https://web.archive.org/web/20220526125457/https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/counterintelligence/christopher-douglas-emms/
This post’s main link goes to a archive.ph
snapshot because javascript on nknews.org
irritatingly blocks privacy browsers and incognito mode (even on archive.org
); the original URL is https://www.nknews.org/2022/05/fbi-releases-wanted-posters-for-two-men-accused-of-aiding-north-korea/
Here is a previous lemmy thread about the sentencing of Virgil Griffith back in April: https://lemmy.ml/post/228220
So no, Alejandro is not simply someone sympathetic to DPRK’s cause, he is someone who even self proclaims to be part of DPRK’s highest ministry (and given the amount of power he has with international relations, there is no reason to doubt that).
I live in Korea and have observed the work KFA has been doing for a long time now, everything from their public propaganda videos to talking with some of the members. I’m not picking a side in all this, I’m just stating the facts.
He is not part of the DPRK’S highest ministry, the only article where I managed to find any official relationship with the DPRK’s bureau is here and it states the following:
The English Wikipedia page does not contain a source when it claims:
On the contrary, the Spanish Wikipedia page cites the newspaper I mentioned earlier, but still it does not include the important word “unofficial” in it.
Both English and Spanish Wikipedia pages claim it is according to himself, where in the article the one writing the piece is who credits him with that role.
From what we can gather from this, either the journalist gave him a fake honorary title, or Alejandro is lying, or the first happened and he went along with it, but there are no conclusive evidence he has any significant position withing the DPRK’s hierarchy, sure, his work with the KFA has greatly helped them and I am sure he is an interesting figure for North Koreans, but that’s it.
You did some good research so I’ll show where I got my info - These are some clips I have on my laptop (I also have others) of Alejandro being taped without knowing it (no audio unfortunately)
First clip: https://gyazo.com/714cf5e7e6a761539183c207209aeb5c
Try to follow the lips, he’s saying “I hold positions which I cannot tell you in our country”
Second clip: https://gyazo.com/1f42fa9434b8dfb9f63cff1a6d777cb0
He’s saying “it’s a ministry which is over all the other ministries”
I incorrectly assumed this was common/public knowledge by now but based on your research it’s not