Two US Navy Sailors Charged After Sending Sensitive Information To Chinese Intelligence

Jinchao Wei and Wenheng Zhao have pleaded not guilty in San Diego and Los Angeles federal court. The two were ordered to be held until their detention hearings on August 8 in the same cities.

Two US Navy sailors on Thursday were have been indicted and arrested for allegedly sending sensitive US military information to Chinese intelligence officers. The sailors were charged for allegedly providing China with sensitive military information such as details on wartime exercises, naval operations and critical technical material. It is unclear whether the two sailors, who were based in California, knew of each other or were approached by the same Chinese intelligence agency. The two sailors Jinchao Wei and Wenheng Zhao have pleaded not guilty in San Diego and Los Angeles federal court. The two were ordered to be held until their detention hearings on August 8 in the same cities, according to the Associated Press.

Jinchao Wei

The 22-year-old, Jinchao Wei was arrested while he was boarding the San Diego-based USS Essex on Wednesday. He was accused of sending information of the weapons systems and aircrafts aboard the Essex and other assault ships. 

Wei was born in China and was approached by a Chinese intelligence officer in February 2022 while he was applying to become a naturalised US citizen and admitted to the officer that he was aware that it could affect his application. Wei provided the officer with photographs and videos of Navy ships including the USS Essex, according to an indictment unsealed on Thursday, reported AP.

Wei, who also goes by Patrick Wei, sent the Chinese official about 50 manuals which had technical and mechanical data about the US Navy ships and details about the number and training of Marines during an upcoming exercise. Over the course of one year Wei sent sensitive information to US military information multiple times. When he received his US citizenship he was congratulated by the Chinese officer. 

Wei is charged under a rarely-used Espionage Act statute that makes it a crime to gather or deliver information to aid a foreign government.

Assistant US Attorney Fred Sheppard claimed Wei has made $10,000 to $15,000 in the past year from the arrangement with the unnamed Chinese intelligence officer. If convicted, he could be facing life imprisonment.

Wenheng Zhao

Meanwhile, Wenheng Zhao, who also goes by Thomas Zhao, is a 26-year-old sailor based at Naval Base Ventura County, north of San Diego. He is accused of collecting nearly $15,000 in bribes from a Chinese intelligence officer in exchange for US naval exercise plans, operational orders and photos and videos of electrical systems at Navy facilities when he was first approached in 2021. 

Zhao who is a naturalised US citizen forwards information of operational plans for a large-scale US military exercise in the Indo-Pacific region, this included detailed the location and timing of naval force movements.

Zhao’s indictment alleges he photographed electrical diagrams and blueprints for a radar system stationed on a US military base in Okinawa, Japan. Zhao could face a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison, if he is convicted. 

As per AP, US officials said these cases exemplify China’s brazenness in trying to obtain insight into US military operations.