North Korea-Funded Secret 'Laptop Farms' in Texas

Federal prosecutors announced on Tuesday the arrest of two individuals and the seizure of more than 180 computers as part of an operation to dismantle an alleged North Korean scheme aimed at generating profits through remote information technology work.

The Department of Justice stated in a release that it searched "more than 40 locations suspected of being +laptop farms+ across the state of Texas," sites that reportedly generated more than $3 million for Pyongyang by deceiving American employers into hiring North Korean citizens, according to AFP.

In addition to the two Americans arrested in Ohio and Pennsylvania on charges related to money laundering and identity theft, authorities indicted 14 people as part of Operation "Lone Star Roundup," including 10 residing in China.

John Eisenberg, Assistant Attorney General for National Security, said: "The North Korean regime uses its extensive programs to employ people in the IT sector to collect revenue for illicit purposes, including the development of weapons that could ultimately target the United States or its allies."

This incident is the latest in a series of law enforcement actions targeting "laptop farms" located in the United States, which are facilities housing multiple computers used to generate illicit revenue for the North Korean government.