Two active-duty US Army soldiers and one former soldier were arrested in Oregon on Thursday and were accused of gathering and sending sensitive information to individuals in China.
The arrests were confirmed by the Department of Justice and the FBI’s new Director, Kash Patel. The accused in the case were identified as Jian Zhao and Li Tian, who were stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, and former soldier Ruoyo Duan.
All three officers were charged with conspiring to commit bribery and theft of government property. Meanwhile. Zhao is facing additional charges of conspiring to obtain and transmit national defence information to an individual not authorized to receive it.
“The defendants arrested today are accused of betraying our country, actively working to weaken America’s defence capabilities and empowering our adversaries in China,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement.
“They will face swift, severe, and comprehensive justice,” she added. The Justice Department noted that Duan and Tian were accused of conspiring with each other to “surreptitiously gather sensitive military information related to the United States Army’s operational capabilities” from Nov. 28, 2021, to at least Dec. 19, 2024.
The information includes technical manuals and military weapon systems, specifically Bradley and Stryker US Army fighting vehicles.
How three US Army officers shared crucial information with China
According to the Justice Department, active-duty Army officer Tian was tasked with gathering the above information for former soldier Duan in return for money. Zhao was an active-duty Army supply sergeant who allegedly began conspiring to obtain and send national defense information to people in China sometime in July 2024.
“Specifically, Zhao was charged for his conspiracy to collect and transmit several classified hard drives, including hard drives marked ‘SECRET’ and ‘TOP SECRET,’ negotiating with individuals based in China for their sale, and agreeing to send the classified hard drives to the individuals in China,” the DOJ said in the release.
Meanwhile, FBI Director Kash Patel also shared his take on the matter. “I can now report that today, the FBI, along with our interagency partners led by @AGPamBondi, arrested two active duty U.S. Army soldiers and one former U.S. Army soldier for theft of government property and a bribery scheme,” Patel wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“These individuals have been charged with stealing America’s defence intelligence capabilities and empowering adversaries like China in betrayal of our country. They will now face American justice,” the statement further reads.
The Department said that Zhou allegedly received at least $10,000 in exchange for the classified hard drives. The matter is currently under investigation.
