Bridge disaster in Baltimore gets FBI criminal investigation

The FBI has opened a criminal investigation into what occurred on the cargo ship that crashed into Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge and caused it to collapse, according to a person familiar with the investigation. 

FBI agents boarded the Singapore-flagged container ship early Monday, the bureau said in a statement.

“The FBI is present aboard the cargo ship Dali conducting court-authorized law enforcement activity,” the FBI said. “There is no other public information available and we will have no further comment.”

The Dali lost power and collided with the bridge on March 26, killing six workers on the span and bringing a halt to cargo traffic at the Port of Baltimore, where shipments of coal, cars, and other goods have since been disrupted. The container ship and workers on it have remained in place since.

The criminal investigation is examining what kind of failures occurred on the ship, the circumstances leading up to the crash and whether any federal laws may have been broken, according to the person familiar with the matter, who asked not to be identified speaking about information that isn’t public. 

The investigation was reported earlier by the Washington Post.

The US attorney for Maryland, Erek Barron, said his office seeks to hold accountable those responsible for wrongdoing. 

“My office generally will not confirm the existence of or otherwise comment about investigations,” Barron said in a statement. “However, the public should know, whether it’s gun violence, civil rights abuse, financial fraud, or any other threat to public safety or property, we will seek accountability for anyone who may be responsible.”