Federal prosecutors announced charges Tuesday against the operator of the container ship that crashed into Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge in March 2024, killing six construction workers.

The Justice Department brought 18 charges against Synergy Marine Pte Ltd., based in Singapore, Synergy Maritime Pte Ltd., based in Chennai, India, and Radhakrishnan Karthik Nair, 47, an Indian national who served as technical superintendent for the Dali container ship. The charges include conspiracy, willfully failing to immediately inform the U.S. Coast Guard of a known hazardous condition, obstruction of an agency proceeding and false statements.

The Dali lost power and crashed into a supporting column of the bridge at approximately 1:30 a.m. on March 26, 2024, while departing Baltimore bound for Sri Lanka. The National Transportation Safety Board determined that two electrical blackouts caused by a loose wire and problems with a fuel pump disabled the ship's controls before the collision. Six construction workers who were filling potholes on the bridge were killed in the collapse.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche called the bridge collapse "a preventable tragedy of enormous consequence." An FBI investigation focused on the vessel's operations and whether the crew knew of critical systems issues before leaving port.

The collapse halted shipping at the Port of Baltimore and disrupted transportation throughout the region. Maryland officials estimate the replacement bridge will cost between $4.3 billion and $5.2 billion and is expected to open to traffic in late 2030.

The charges follow a settlement in principle announced in April between the State of Maryland and the ship's operator and owner, though details of that agreement have not been disclosed. The original Francis Scott Key Bridge opened to traffic in 1977 after five years of construction.