The United States Department of Justice has reported this Thursday that two members of the US Navy personnel in the state of Californiaa have been detained for transmitting confidential military information to China.
US Assistant Attorney General, Matthew Olsen, has indicated in a statement that both are accused of “betraying public trust” and “violating the commitments they made as a military to protect the United States.”
Specific, Jinchao Wei, also known as Patrick Wei, has been detained on espionage charges upon his arrival at the San Diego naval base.or –home port of the US Pacific Fleet– for disclosing Defense information to a Chinese Intelligence official. Wei worked on the amphibious assault ship USS Essex, stationed at the San Diego dock, and had access, as an assistant engineer, to information related to weapons, as well as the propulsion systems of the boat.
Office of Public Affairs | Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen Delivers Remarks on U.S. Navy Servicemembers Arrested for Transmitting Military Information to the People’s Republic of China | United States Department of Justice https://t.co/39twE9wp1G
— Kristine ? (@KristineLogie) August 3, 2023
Wei transmitted photos, videos and documents to the Chinese official — concealing his communications with encryption systems — in exchange for “thousands of dollars,” as reported by the Department of Justice in said statement. On the other hand, the non-commissioned officer, Wenheng Zhao, also known as Thomas Zhao, has been arrested after being accused of receiving bribes in exchange for transmitting confidential information. a Chinese spy posing as a maritime investigator.
Zhao, who disclosed information regarding a large-scale military exercise in the Indo-Pacific region from August 2021 to May 2023, was working at the Ventura County Naval Base in Port Huenemand. Likewise, the sailor also came to photograph plans for a radar system stationed at a military base in Okinawa, Japan.
