2020 failed USNS Mercy attack

2020 failed USNS Mercy attack
Details
DateMarch 31, 2020
LocationSan Pedro, Los Angeles, California
CountryUnited States
OperatorPacific Harbor Line (PHL)
Incident typeFailed hospital ship terrorist attack by a train
CauseEngineer intentionally crashing a train into USNS Mercy
Statistics
Trains1
Crew1
Deaths0
Injured0

On March 31, 2020, the USNS Mercy, an American hospital ship, was involved in a failed terrorist attack. The incident involved an engineer attempting to intentionally slam a train into the vessel, due to a supposed conspiracy. The event took place during the COVID-19 pandemic.[1]

Background

Train and suspect

On March 31, 2020, a Pacific Harbor Line (PHL) engineer named Eduardo Moreno, who was a 44-year old California resident in the area of Los Angeles, had operated a locomotive that was pulling one freight car, the locomotive involved was MP20B-3 #21, formerly Boston and Maine GP38 #254, the train was being operated at the PHL's San Pedro yard in San Pedro, Los Angeles, California.[2]

Train accident

Moreno saw the hospital ship, USNS Mercy, as a conspiracy and believed it was connected to a government plot, while it was docked at San Pedro,[3] claiming that he didn't believe that "the ship is what they say it's for."[4][5][6]

After building up this "conspiracy theory" in his head, Moreno sets the MP20B-3's throttle into notch 8, causing the locomotive to speed down the 200-metre (656-foot-2-inch) dead-end siding, crash through a concrete barrier, then through a steel barrier, then through a chain-link fence, having the train slide through a parking lot, and then slide through a gravel lot, both lots had unoccupied cars, then break another chain-link fence, until the train came to a stop without striking USNS Mercy.[3][5][6][7]

No one was injured or killed, but the locomotive's fuel tank had spilled around 2,000 US gallons (7,600 litres; 1,700 imperial gallons) of diesel fuel.[8][9]

Arrest and interviews

A California Highway Patrol (CHP) officer witnessed the train derailment, and Eduardo Moreno was immediately arrested at the scene by the CHP officer and port police, following his arrest, Moreno told an officer that he believed USNS Mercy was "suspicious" and connected to a government plot. Moreno also stated to agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), that he acted out of a desire to "awaken people" and expressed suspicions about the ship's true purpose.[2][6][9]

"You only get this chance once. The world is watching. I had to. People don't know what's going on here. Now they will."

— Eduardo Moreno, stated when he was interviewed by CHP officer.

The director of media relations for the Port of Los Angeles, Phillip Sanfield, had told the news company, American Shipper, that Moreno never had a chance of reaching USNS Mercy with a train.[10]

Charges and penalties

Moreno later admitted that he acted alone and planned the derailment, hoping to generate media attention for his suspicions.[9] Moreno was charged for train wrecking and terrorism, where he would initially be sentenced to 20 years in prison. He plead guilty for the charge in December 2021, and on April 13, 2022, he was sentenced three years in a federal prison, and was ordered to pay a $755,880 fine ($831,606 in 2025) in damages, he was 46 years old at the time the charges and sentencing were made by United States District Judge (USDJ) Philip S. Gutierrez.[9][10][11][12]

The case was filed by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California,[10][12]

Aftermath

Moreno lost his job at Pacific Harbor Line.[13] He was released from prison on April 13, 2025. He was barred permanently from working as a locomotive engineer in the United States as a result of the felony.

USNS Mercy continued its mission of taking on non-COVID-19 patients, unaffected by the incident, while the local hospitals would deal with COVID-19 patients.[6] MP20B-3 #21 was repaired and returned to service on PHL and is still in service as of 2026.

References

  1. ^ "Train engineer charged with trying to ram Navy hospital ship Mercy". TODAY.com. Retrieved March 14, 2026.
  2. ^ a b "Engineer intentionally crashes train near hospital ship Mercy, believing in weird coronavirus conspiracy, feds say". The Washington Post. April 2, 2020. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved March 14, 2026.
  3. ^ a b Zaveri, Mihir (April 2, 2020). "Engineer Crashes Train Near Hospital Ship in Los Angeles". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 14, 2026.
  4. ^ "Man intentionally derailed LA train near hospital ship, feds say". PBS News. April 1, 2020. Retrieved March 14, 2026.
  5. ^ a b "Prosecutors: Engineer deliberately ran train off tracks in attempt to smash the USNS Mercy". ABC7 Los Angeles. April 1, 2020. Retrieved March 14, 2026.
  6. ^ a b c d Chappell, Bill (April 2, 2020). "Train Engineer Says He Crashed In Attempt To Attack Navy Hospital Ship In L.A." NPR. Retrieved March 14, 2026.
  7. ^ "Feds: Man intentionally derailed train near Mercy hospital ship at Port of LA". Long Beach Post News. April 1, 2020. Retrieved March 14, 2026.
  8. ^ "Ex-LA Port Engineer Who Wanted to 'Wake People Up' Gets Three Years for Intentional Train Wreck". NBC Los Angeles. April 13, 2022. Retrieved March 14, 2026.
  9. ^ a b c d "Former engineer gets 3 years for intentional train wreck near Mercy hospital ship". Long Beach Post News. April 13, 2022. Retrieved March 14, 2026.
  10. ^ a b c Wills, Kim Link (April 2, 2020). "Engineer goes off the rails in alleged aim for Mercy". Freight Waves. Retrieved March 14, 2026.
  11. ^ "Former San Pedro Train Engineer Sentenced to 3 Years in Prison for Intentionally Derailing Locomotive Near U.S. Navy Hospital Ship". www.justice.gov. April 13, 2022. Retrieved March 14, 2026.
  12. ^ a b "Former Port of Los Angeles engineer pleads guilty in train wreck case involving USNS Mercy". ABC7 Los Angeles. December 17, 2021. Retrieved March 14, 2026.
  13. ^ Martinez, Christian (April 14, 2022). "Man sentenced to prison for derailing train near hospital ship at L.A. port in pandemic's early weeks". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 21, 2026.

Further reading

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