The Nuclear Threat of a 50-Year Imprisoned Ship

Originally a World War 2 light freighter, USS Pueblo was eventually recommissioned by the US Navy to serve as an environmental research ship, complete with two civilian oceanographers on board. However, the vessel’s scientific nature was only a cover for the truth: Pueblo was a spy ship, often charged with monitoring foreign intelligence and transmitting her findings with a parabolic antenna. On January 23, 1968, USS Pueblo was performing routine surveillance near the North Korean coast when she was intercepted by enemy patrol boats that immediately turned their guns on her, demanding the crew’s surrender. When their capture became inevitable, the Americans stalled for time, destroying all classified information while they were being fired upon. The US Navy insisted that Pueblo always stayed within the limits of international waters, almost 16 miles from shore, but North Korea claimed otherwise. As such, the Pueblo incident suddenly threatened to pit two countries against each other