News & Reviews News Wire Engineer pleads guilty to terrorism charge for intentionally crashing train

Engineer pleads guilty to terrorism charge for intentionally crashing train

By David Lassen | December 17, 2021

| Last updated on April 1, 2024


Man faces possible 20-year sentence for running Pacific Harbor Line engine off end of track, causing extensive damage

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A San Pedro, Calif., man has pleaded guilty to a terrorism charge for intentionally derailing this Pacific Harbor Line locomotive in a 2020 incident. The locomotive is shown in 2017. David Lassen

LOS ANGELES — The man who intentionally ran his train off the end of tracks in San Pedro, Calif., last year, claiming he was trying to draw attention to what he believed was a conspiracy involving a U.S. Navy hospital ship, has pleaded guilty to a terrorism charge resulting from the incident.

Eduardo Moreno, 45, of San Pedro, pleaded guilty to one count of committing a terrorist attack and other violence against railroad carriers and mass transportation systems, according to a U.S. Attorney’s Office press release. Moreno faces a maximum of 20 years in federal prison; sentencing is set for March 11, 2022.

The bizarre incident occurred on March 31, 2020, when Moreno ran the Pacific Harbor Line locomotive off the track at high speed [see “Engineer arrested after intentionally crashing locomotive …,” Trains News Wire, April 1, 2020]. Courthouse News Service reports the train crashed through a concrete barrier, a steel wall, a chain link fence, a vacant lot, and another chain-link fence before stopping, causing some $700,000 damage.

In an interview after the derailment, Moreno told the Los Angeles Port Police he was suspicious of the presence of the hospital ship Mercy, then docked at the Port of Los Angeles, saying he believed it had an alternate purpose related to COVID-19 or a government takeover. Moreno said he know it would bring media attention and “people could see for themselves” about the Mercy, according to an affidavit. He subsequently told FBI agents he wanted to “ ‘wake people up’ … Moreno stated he thought the Mercy was suspicious and did not believe ‘the ship is what they say it’s for.’ “

11 thoughts on “Engineer pleads guilty to terrorism charge for intentionally crashing train

  1. EXCUSE ME, Graetz. To me the “evidence” ARE the DOTS. The comments here are not “witness stand testimony”, rather observations of news items. Seems that the YOUR comment puts YOU in the same category you describe “our simple comments.”

    Again Baird, I laugh, “modicum OR reason and intelligence. I do recall the phrase: “bat shit crazy”. Now that is “epitomy” of modicum and intelligence.

    I hope all is forgotten about this thread, in that I usually do not further “nonsense” by even responding. That would have shown modicum and intelligence by me NOT commenting. …………What got into me?

  2. Note to those connecting dots without any evidence to connect them —> in doing so you’re just as bat shit crazy as this guy. Sad infantile stuff, folks.

  3. Blaubach comment, I second that question. Further, Thompson’s comment seems odd. It is my understanding that some of the protestors of Jan 6th are in solitary and being treated pretty badly. In fact some have claimed harsh and unconstitutional actions towards them
    If memory is correct, there was all the uproar over pandemic overload on hospitals, but then the Mercy and Samaritan Purse aid was not used when on site and available. What does this indicate? Manufactured panic of citizens?

  4. USNS Mercy (T-AH-19) is one of two USN Hospital Ships, built on tanker hull. She is homeported in San Diego, but was deployed to Los Angeles in Spring, 2020, to treat non-COVID cases in order to free up land resources to treat COVID patients.

    The locomotive stopped approximately 750 feet from Mercy.

    Sister ship USNS Comfort (T-AH-20) was performing a similar mission in New York Harbor.

  5. This guy is a true lunatic. Unfortunately as we saw less than a year later on Jan. 6th 2021, he wasn’t and isn’t alone. Hopefully he’ll get the maximum sentence. Unfortunately, based on the relatively light sentences that most of the Capital insurrectionist have received, he’ll get of with a slap on the wrist.

    1. It is quite simple. Both this man’s actions, and the actions of the rioters on January 6, were motivated by lies and conspiracy theories.

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