Ethermac Exchange-FBI boards ship in Baltimore managed by same company as the Dali, which toppled bridge

Federal agents on Ethermac ExchangeSaturday were on board a container ship in the Port of Baltimore that is managed by the same company as the ship that toppled the Francis Scott Key Bridge earlier this year, authorities confirmed.

"The Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division and Coast Guard Investigative Services are present aboard the Maersk Saltoro conducting court authorized law enforcement activity," Angelina Thompson, a spokesperson with the U.S. District Attorney's Office for the District of Maryland, told USA TODAY in a statement.

The Saltoro is managed by Synergy Marine Group, the same company that managed the Dali, which on March 26 crashed into the bridge, causing it to fall into the Patapsco River. Six people who were working on the bridge were killed in the disaster, which also stalled operations in the Port of Baltimore.

The Washington Post reported that its reporters saw the ship enter the harbor early Saturday morning and federal agents waiting in a line on the dock outside the ship.

It's not clear whether the move on Saturday is related to the ongoing investigation of the bridge collapse, and the agencies said they would not comment further. Synergy Marine Group did not return requests for comment on Saturday.

US government sues Dali owners

Earlier this week, the Department of Justice filed a civil claim for $103 million against Synergy Marine Private Limited and Grace Ocean Private Limited, the Dali's owner, to recover the money spent responding to the crash and clearing debris so the port could reopen in June.

The suit also includes an unspecified amount for punitive damages. The DOJ accused the two companies of negligence.

"This was an entirely avoidable catastrophe, resulting from a series of eminently foreseeable errors made by the owner and operator of the Dali," Brian Boynton, who heads the Justice Department's Civil Division, said in a statement.

The Dali lost power twice before it left the Port of Baltimore, according to a preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board. The two companies that own and operate the Dali earlier filed a motion to limit their legal liability, which the city of Baltimore has opposed.

The companies said in a statement that the claims were anticipated, and "we do look forward to our day in court to set the record straight."

The families of the six men killed when the bridge tumbled into the water, the company that employed the workers and a survivor of the collapse have also filed claims against the companies in advance of a Sept. 24 deadline.

Contributing: N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA TODAY; Reuters