WA JBLM soldiers charged with selling U.S. Army secrets to China
JBLM soldiers accused of selling military secrets to China
The FBI has announced the arrest of two active-duty soldiers from Washington's Joint Base Lewis-McChord, accused of providing sensitive information to China.
SEATTLE - Three men — two of them serving as U.S. Army soldiers at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington — have been indicted for conspiracy to steal national defense information and send it to China.
According to the FBI and U.S. Department of Justice, federal authorities arrested Jian Zhao, Li Tian and Ruoyo Duan for conspiracy to commit bribery and theft of government property.
Zhao and Tian were stationed at JBLM, while Duan is a former U.S. Army soldier, according to the feds.
Selling secrets to China
Timeline:
"The defendants arrested today are accused of betraying our country, actively working to weaken America’s defense capabilities and empowering our adversaries in China," said Attorney General Pamela J. Bondi. "They will face swift, severe, and comprehensive justice."
Indictments filed in Washington and Oregon allege that from Nov. 28, 2021 until Dec. 19, 2024, the three suspects conspired to gather "sensitive military information" on the U.S. Army. Information included technical manuals, operational capabilities and military weapons systems, authorities say.
The federal case bears a resemblance to one from 2023, when former U.S. Army officer Sgt. Joseph Daniel Schmidt was charged with trying to steal top-secret military intelligence information during his tenure at JBLM and give it to China. Schmidt is accused of arranging a meeting with the Chinese consulate while on a 2020 trip to Istanbul.
What they're saying:
"While bribery and corruption have thrived under China’s Communist Party, this behavior cannot be tolerated with our service members who are entrusted with sensitive military information, including national defense information," said FBI Director Kash Patel. "The FBI and our partners will continue to work to uncover attempts by those in China to steal sensitive U.S. military information and hold all accountable who play a role in betraying our national defense. The FBI would like to thank U.S. Army Counterintelligence for their close partnership during this investigation."
"These arrests underscore the persistent and increasing foreign intelligence threat facing our Army and nation," said Brig. Gen. Rhett R. Cox, Commanding General, Army Counterintelligence Command. "Along with the Department of Justice and FBI, Army Counterintelligence Command will continue to work tirelessly to hold those accountable who irresponsibly and selfishly abandon the Army values and choose personal gain over duty to our nation. We remind all members of the Army team to increase their vigilance and protect our Army by reporting suspicious activity."
Tian is believed to have gathered the information and then sold it to Duan. Zhao is also accused of conspiring with others to transmit defense secrets to people in China, though records do not indicate how.
Federal prosecutors allege Zhao sold classified hard drives marked "SECRET" and "TOP SECRET," illegally earning a total of $15,000.
JBLM soldiers charged with selling U.S. Army secrets to China
Three men — two of them serving as U.S. Army soldiers at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington — have been indicted for conspiracy to steal national defense information and send it to China.
The Source: Information in this story comes from the U.S. Department of Justice.
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