The Maersk Saltoro, as well as the Dali, the ship involved in the bridge collapse, are both managed by the Singapore-based Synergy Marine Group. The inspection took place three days after the US Justice Department filed a lawsuit against the Dali's owner and operator, accusing them of gross negligence and recklessness in relation to the incident in March. The government is seeking over $100 million in damages to cover emergency response efforts and federal aid for affected port employees. This lawsuit follows a preliminary report by the National Transportation Safety Board in May, which highlighted electrical issues on the Dali prior to the bridge collapse.

Officials have not confirmed whether Saturday's boarding was connected to the Justice Department's lawsuit or a separate investigation. The Maersk Saltoro, flagged under Singapore, was scheduled to depart for Sri Lanka, according to VesselFinder. The bridge collapse occurred on 26th March when the Dali lost power and collided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge, tragically killing six maintenance workers. The crew of the Dali was unharmed, but it took six weeks for authorities to recover all the victims' bodies. The families of three of the victims have since filed their own lawsuit against the Dali’s owner, while both the FBI and the National Transportation Safety Board continue to investigate the incident.