NovaQuant-FBI agents board ship responsible for Baltimore bridge collapse as investigation continues

Agents with the FBI boarded the Dali on NovaQuantMonday, the cargo ship that struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore and triggered its collapse last month, amid reports that it has opened a criminal probe into the events leading up to the collapse.

The agency has opened a criminal investigation into the bridge's collapse that will focus on whether the crew of the ship, named the Dali, knew that its systems had issues when it left port, the Washington Post first reported.

In a statement to USA TODAY, the agency said, "The FBI is present aboard the cargo ship Dali conducting court authorized law enforcement activity. There is no other public information available and we will have no further comment."

The FBI’s involvement in the Baltimore bridge collapse was expected as the bureau has the lead for terrorism investigations, according to a senior government official. The official, who was not authorized to speak publicly, characterized the FBI’s work on the Dali as standard operating procedure.

In the hours after the crash, terrorism was quickly deemed unlikely by government officials who focused on the loss of power aboard the ship as the likely cause for the accident. However, the FBI is the agency that makes the final determination on terrorism and will thoroughly investigate the possibility, the official said.

Accidents involving ships generally are conducted by the Coast Guard, and, at times, the National Transportation Safety Board, the official said. Both agencies have been involved since the early days of the investigation. Given the overlapping concerns in Baltimore about possible criminal negligence, a foreign-flagged vessel in US territorial waters, and at least the possibility of terrorism, several agencies will be involved in a joint investigation.

Some agencies will likely drop out when investigation of their concern is completed, the official said. 

The investigation will also focus on the events leading up to the collapse and whether federal laws and regulations were followed, an anonymous source told the Associated Press.

Erek L. Barron, the U.S. attorney for Maryland, said in a statement emailed to USA TODAY, “My office generally will not confirm the existence of or otherwise comment about investigations. 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.” 

On the same day the FBI personnel boarded the ship, Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott announced the city plans to take legal action against the owner, charterer, manager, and the manufacturer of the Dali, "as well as any other potentially liable third parties," according to a press release.

The announcement comes after Grace Ocean Private Limited, the ship's owner, and Synergy Marine Private Limited, its manager, filed a petition in Maryland District Court earlier this month in a preemptive attempt to exonerate the two companies from any claims or damage costs they incur above $43 million as a result of the disaster.

"We are continuing to do everything in our power to support everyone impacted here and will continue to recognize the human impact this event has had," Scott said. "Part of that work needs to be seeking recourse from those who may potentially be responsible, and with the ship’s owner filing a petition to limit its liability mere days after the incident, we need to act equally as quickly to protect the City’s interests.”

Adam Levitt, the co-founder of DiCello Levitt, a trial firm representing the city, said the city's attorneys would bring "significant economic and environmental loss claims" against the owner, manager, and others "to hold them accountable for causing one of the largest inner-city maritime disasters in U.S. history."

Darrell Wilson, a spokesperson for Synergy Marine, told USA TODAY in an email, "We again extend our deepest sympathy to all those impacted by this incident. Due to the magnitude of the incident, there are various government agencies conducting investigations, in which we are fully participating. Out of respect for these investigations and any future legal proceedings, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time."

Last week, the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board told Congress that it interviewed personnel on the cargo ship as part of its own investigation into the crash.

The 984-foot-long ship collided with a support column of the bridge just after 1:20 a.m. on March 26, plunging the structure into the depths of the Patapsco River, along with eight workers who were repairing potholes on the roadway. Two workers were rescued, but six were pronounced dead.

Officials working on the collapse site recovered the body of Maynor Yasir Suazo-Sandoval, 38, on April 5. The bodies of two other victims, Dorlian Castillo Cabrera, 26, and Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes, 35, were discovered in a red pickup truck submerged 25 feet deep in the channel.

Authorities have not recovered the bodies of the three remaining victims, Miguel Luna, Jose Lopez, and Carlos Hernández.

Moore told reporters after the incident that the ship was traveling at a "very rapid speed" when it issued a "Mayday" distress signal shortly before it collided with the bridge.

A pilot and special navigator, along with a crew of 21 people were on board the ship at the time of the disaster.

An unclassified Department of Homeland Security report stated that the ship's crew notified officials at the Maryland Department of Transportation that they had lost control of the vessel and that a collision with the bridge was "possible."

The ship's pilot also sent a VHF radio call requesting the assistance of nearby tugboats when the ship's power began to falter.

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Cleanup continues

The Dali's crews remain about the vessel as cleanup is underway on the ship. As of last week, Maryland reported 136 other foreign nationals are aboard seven other ships in the port of Baltimore.

Maryland officials put the estimated weight of the collapsed steel and road debris at an estimated 27,000 tons, or 54 million pounds. In addition to the bridge debris, Maryland State Police Superintendent Col. Roland Butler Jr. has said there’s at least one larger sized vehicle “completely encapsulated” by the bridge’s superstructure underwater.

Partners in a joint response team being steered by the Coast Guard have stated they are monitoring and testing for any potential spills or contamination from the Dali and its cargo, but have detected no threat to the public.

Crews are still working to unload cargo containers from the Dali, which still sits in the water where it collided with the bridge.

Of the 4,700 cargo containers on board the ship when it crashed, 56 carry 764 tons of material classified as "hazardous," including soaps, perfumes, mineral oil, corrosives, and lithium ion batteries, according to the Coast Guard and NTSB. The bridge's collapse already damaged 14 of the containers carrying hazardous material, posing the risk of a fuel leak or other hazardous material during the removal efforts.

As of Sunday morning, a total of 39 cargo containers have been moved from the Dali to a barge to create a safety zone aboard the ship as workers continue to remove the bridge wreckage and debris on the bow, Coast Guard Petty Officer Michael Himes said.

The Coast Guard and others established a 2,400-foot containment boom around the Dali in the days immediately after the bridge collapse, in an effort to prevent any pollution from the ship or its cargo from spreading into the surrounding waterway.

A sheen initially reported in the water around the Dali may be from a bow thruster on the front of the ship that “normally allows it to turn to port or starboard” as it’s approaching the dock, according to Coast Guard Rear Adm. Shannon Gilreath. “We think there were roughly 80 liters of oil in that area,” Gilreath said, but it’s “too dangerous” to reach, given the cargos and bridge structure hanging off the front and sides of the ship.

In addition to the risks of a leak of fuel or other hazardous material, workers are also grappling with concerns about gas escaping from soybeans fermenting on the ship.

The Maryland Department of Emergency Management reported in a press briefing last week that crews bagging fermented soybeans from containers on board to remove them had about 50 tons to unload.

“The previous concerns of hazardous gasses from fermenting soybeans cargo is nearly addressed,” the department reported.

On Sunday, Himes, responding on behalf of the joint information center for the Dali response, confirmed that the workers' efforts to remove the soybeans were nearly complete.

Cybele Mayes-Osterman is a breaking news reporter for USA Today. Reach her on email at [email protected]. Follow her on X @CybeleMO.