Texan sneaks into North Korea, claims the U.S. is a 'Mafia enterprise'

A Texas man who claims to have illegally entered North Korea last month assailed the U.S. as a hypocritical criminal syndicate in a recorded speech aired Sunday.

"The illegal war carried out against the nation of Iraq serves as a perfect example of how the U.S. government acts like a Mafia enterprise by criminally plundering entire nations of their resources, strategic reserves and economies," the man, who identified himself as Arturo Pierre Martinez, of El Paso, Texas, said.

Martinez, who said he is not being detained by North Korea, entered the reclusive nation by crossing the Yalu River from China. He concluded by saying that, having exposed the U.S., he would seek asylum in Venezuela.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up