A US Navy officer has been indicted for carrying out espionage activities for China. According to news agency IANS, he accepted bribes from Chinese intelligence officers in exchange for sensitive US military information, said the Department of Justice (DOJ).
Petty Officer in the US Navy, Wenheng Zhao, who hails from the state of California, was sentenced to 27 months in prison by a district judge on Monday. "Zhao betrayed his solemn oath to defend his country and endangered those who serve in the US military,” Assistant Attorney General Matthew G of the Department’s National Security Division said in a statement, according to IANS.
“The Justice Department is committed to combatting the Chinese government’s efforts to undermine our nation’s security and holding accountable those who violate our laws as part of those efforts," Matthew G said in the statement.
Zhao had pleaded guilty in a federal court in California in October 2023 to charges of one count of conspiring with a foreign intelligence officer. He has been ordered to pay $5,500 fine.
In exchange for a bribe, the 26-year-old, who had security clearance, handed over sensitive information regarding the US Navy's operational security, exercise, and infrastructure. He worked at the Naval Base Ventura County in Port Hueneme. Zhao was convicted of entering restricted military and naval installations to collect the information. Zhao provided information about large-scale operations. Zhao destroyed evidence and concealed his relationship with the intelligence officer, reported IANS.
The Navy officer is a US citizen born in China.
"The case against Zhao is part of a larger national strategy to combat criminal efforts from nations across the globe to steal our nation’s sensitive information," said the US attorney for the Central District of California, according to US news website CNN. The arrest comes amid growing concerns in the US that China is making strategic strides against it — particularly the Chinese Navy — which has surpassed the US Navy’s fleet size.