Sharing intelligence with China, two US Navy personnel arrested

US officials said on Thursday that two US Navy sailors have been arrested on charges of passing sensitive national security material to China. Petty Officer Wenheng Zhao, 26, was charged with conspiracy and bribery in connection with receiving approximately $15,000 in exchange for photos and videos of sensitive US military information, officials said. U.S. Navy SEAL Jinchao Wei, whose age was not disclosed, has been charged with conspiring to send national defense information to China in exchange for thousands of dollars.

Assistant Attorney General Matt Olsen told reporters in San Diego that because of the men’s actions, sensitive military information fell into the hands of the People’s Republic of China. Zhao was accused of sending his Chinese handlers plans for US military exercises in the Indo-Pacific region, electrical diagrams and blueprints for a radar system at a US military base in Okinawa, Japan, and security details for US naval facilities in Ventura County and San Clemente. There is an allegation. Wei has been accused of disclosing information about the USS Essex, an amphibious assault ship where he served, as well as other US warships, including dozens of technical manuals about the Essex’s weapons, power structure and operations. Are included.

Contact details of Wei and Zhao could not be immediately found. US officials condemned China’s espionage campaign at a press conference on Thursday. FBI Special Agent Stacy Moy said, “There is no greater, multi-generational threat to the United States than China. Beijing will spare no effort to attack the United States in its strategic plan to become the world’s sole superpower.”