Two U.S. sailors arrested for allegedly transmitting military information to China
Defense And Security,US Military,China,Spying
Two active-duty U.S. sailors in California were arrested after transmitting sensitive military information to China, the Justice Department announced Thursday, saying that the two men sent photos and videos of American warships, operational plans for U.S. military drills in the Pacific, and a host of other secrets to Chinese handlers “that could seriously jeopardize U.S. national security.”
In an indictment unsealed Thursday morning, federal prosecutors identified the two sailors, Jinchao Wei and Wenheng Zhao, who worked at Naval Base San Diego and Naval Base Ventura County, respectively. Mr. Wei, 22, was arrested on espionage charges and was indicted for conspiracy to send national defense information to an intelligence officer working for China, prosecutors said.
Mr. Wei was reportedly born in China and was initially approached by a Chinese intelligence officer while he was applying to become a naturalized U.S. citizen. Prosecutors said the Chinese handler even congratulated Mr. Wei when he became an American citizen.
