Two U.S. Navy Sailors detained for espionage, suspected of having connections with China.
Two U.S. Navy Sailors Arrested for Betraying National Security
In a shocking turn of events, two U.S. Navy sailors have been apprehended on charges related to compromising sensitive military information and sharing it with the Chinese Communist Party. This alarming incident has raised concerns about national security and the trustworthiness of those tasked with protecting the United States.
“These individuals stand accused of violating the commitments they made to protect the United States and betraying the public trust, to the benefit of the [People’s Republic of China] government,”
The Arrest of Sailor Jinchao Wei
One of the arrested sailors is Jinchao Wei, an active-duty machinist’s mate stationed at Naval Base San Diego. Wei, 22, was taken into custody for espionage-related charges upon arriving for work at the homeport of the Navy’s Pacific Fleet in California.
According to U.S. officials, Wei is accused of conspiring to send national defense information to a Chinese intelligence officer. Allegedly, Wei used encrypted messages to communicate with the officer, providing photos, videos, and documents about the U.S.S. Essex and other Navy ships. This illicit activity is said to have started as early as February 2022. In exchange for his betrayal, Wei received thousands of dollars and disclosed sensitive information about the locations of Navy ships, defensive weapons, technical and mechanical manuals. Shockingly, he even revealed details about the number of U.S. Marines involved in international maritime warfare exercises.
“When a soldier or sailor chooses cash over country, and hands over national defense information in an ultimate act of betrayal, the United States will aggressively investigate and prosecute,”
The Arrest of Petty Officer Wenheng Zhao
The second sailor arrested is Petty Officer Wenheng Zhao, stationed at Naval Base Ventura County in California. Zhao, 26, is charged with conspiracy and receipt of a bribe for transmitting sensitive military information to a Chinese official posing as a maritime economic researcher.
Authorities allege that Zhao secretly recorded photographs and videos of classified military information and transmitted them to the foreign officer between August 2021 and May 2023. The Chinese intelligence officer paid Zhao approximately $14,866 in exchange for classified controlled operational plans for a large-scale U.S. military exercise in the Indo-Pacific Region. Additionally, Zhao is accused of sharing photographs of electrical diagrams and blueprints for a radar system located on a U.S. military base in Okinawa, Japan.
“By sending this sensitive military information to an intelligence officer employed by a hostile foreign state, the defendant betrayed his sacred oath to protect our country and uphold the Constitution,”
If convicted, Zhao could face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
The Threat from China
Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen emphasized the gravity of the situation during a press briefing, stating that the threat posed by China ”stands apart” on the world stage when it comes to U.S. national security.
“China is unrivaled in the audacity and the range of its malign efforts to subvert our laws,”
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