FACT CHECK: Were ‘Kids And Body Parts’ Found On The Cargo Ship Blocking The Suez Canal?
A viral Facebook post claims the Department of Defense said “kids and body parts” were found on the Ever Given, the cargo ship that blocked Egypt’s Suez Canal for multiple days.
Verdict: False
There is no evidence “kids and body parts” were found on the Ever Given. A Department of Defense spokesperson said the department did not confirm such a discovery.
Fact Check:
The Ever Given, the 200,000-ton cargo ship that became stuck in the Suez Canal on March 23, was finally freed Monday after blocking the waterway for nearly a week, according to the Associated Press. The ship garnered international media attention and has become the subject of online conspiracy theories.
“The Evergreen tanker blocking the canal did have kids and body parts on it. Per D.O.D.,” alleges one viral Facebook post. “Good job team. WWG1WGA.”
The post’s claim appears to be baseless. Neither the Suez Canal Authority, which oversees the Suez Canal, nor the U.S. Defense Department has put out a press release announcing the discovery of “kids and body parts” on the Ever Given. Furthermore, children or body parts being found onboard the ship almost certainly would have been picked up by the media.
While the post cites the Department of Defense as the source of its claim, a DOD spokesperson told Check Your Fact via email that is “completely false.”
The claim appears to be associated with the unfounded QAnon conspiracy theory, which posits a cabal of Satan-worshippers and pedophiles control a “deep state” government, according to The Wall Street Journal. The abbreviation “WWG1WGA” stands for “where we go one, we go all,” a popular phrase used by QAnon believers, CBS News reported.
Check Your Fact debunked a similar, QAnon-linked rumor last year that alleged the Clinton Foundation used a ship named “Evergreen” to transport and traffic children. (RELATED: Were Over 60 Children Found In Shipping Containers In A Delaware Port?)
Evergreen Marine, the company that operates the Ever Given, did not respond to a request for comment by the time of publication.
