(NewsNation) — Navy SEALS attempted to place a surveillance device in North Korea in 2019 in a failed mission that led to the death of civilians, according to a new report from The New York Times.
The secret operation to place a device that would intercept North Korean communications was so sensitive it had to be approved by the president, the Times reported.
The failed mission was never publicly acknowledged by the U.S., and President Donald Trump said today that he had never heard of the failed mission.
Members of SEAL Team 6, the unit responsible for killing Osama bin Laden, used mini-subs to approach before swimming to shore to plant the device but were interrupted by a North Korean boat.
According to the report, the SEALs killed all the people on board. After they had been shot, it was determined they were not North Korean military but civilians.
The mission was also kept secret from key members of Congress, raising concerns about possible violations of federal law.
Read the full report at The New York Times.