A train engineer deliberately drove a speeding train towards a Navy hospital ship in Los Angeles drafted in to help tackle the coronavirus pandemic because of a conspiracy theory that the ship is there for an alternate purpose.

Eduardo Moreno, 44, told authorities he intentionally derailed it from the track at the Port of Los Angeles because he was suspicious about the presence of U.S. Navy Hospital Ship Mercy, federal prosecutors said Wednesday.

Moreno said he did it to try to 'wake people up' to the idea that the ship is there for an 'alternate purpose' than to provide beds for coronavirus patients.   

The incident unfolded Tuesday when the train crashed through a series of barriers and fences before coming to rest more than 250 yards (230 meters) from the Mercy on Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Justice said in a release.

Nobody was hurt in the incident.

Moreno acknowledged in two separate interviews with law enforcement that he intentionally derailed and crashed the train near the Mercy, according to the criminal complaint.