Washington (CNN) The United States has seized a North Korean cargo ship, alleging sanctions violations by the country, the Justice Department said Thursday.

The ship, the M/V Wise Honest, was used to haul valuable coal from North Korea that was sold in other countries, including China, according to the Justice Department. The US and the United Nations have said that North Korea has used illicit sales of its coal to fund the country's nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles program.

In a statement, senior Justice Department officials called the seizure the first of its kind, and said it was part of the US campaign of "maximum pressure" against the North Korean government.

"This sanctions-busting ship is now out of service," said Assistant Attorney General John Demers, the head of the Justice Department's National Security Division. "We are deeply committed to the role the Justice Department plays in applying maximum pressure to the North Korean regime to cease its belligerence."

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