Federal prosecutors arrested two Navy sailors on Aug. 3, accusing them of passing along sensitive military information to China and undermining U.S. national security.
Wei Jinchao, who also goes by Patrick Wei, was indicted for conspiracy to send national defense information to a Chinese intelligence officer and arrested on Aug. 2 after reporting to work at Naval Base San Diego, homeport of the Pacific Fleet.
The 22-year-old worked as an active-duty sailor on the amphibious assault ship the USS Essex. The Justice Department stated that he began communicating with a Chinese intelligence officer who tasked him with transmitting photos, videos, and documents concerning U.S. Navy ships and their systems. In compensation, the Chinese officer paid him thousands of dollars, according to authorities.
Arrested the same day was “Thomas” Zhao Wenheng of California’s Monterey Park, whom a federal grand jury charged with taking bribes in exchange for recording and handing photos, videos, and other information to a Chinese intelligence officer over a nearly two-year span. Mr. Zhao, who faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted, pocketed about $14,866 for his actions, according to U.S. officials.
FBI Counterintelligence Division Assistant Director Suzanne Turner said the arrests are “a reminder of the relentless, aggressive efforts of the People’s Republic of China to undermine our democracy and threaten those who defend it.”
She encouraged “past and present government officials to report any suspicious interactions with suspected foreign intelligence officers.”
It remains unclear whether the two cases are connected or whether the same Chinese intelligence official was involved in the two schemes.
Between March 2022 and his arrest, Mr. Wei sent photographs and videos of the Essex, disclosed locations of multiple Navy ships, and provided details of the weapons of the Essex, according to a statement. In June 2022, he also allegedly sent the Chinese official about 30 technical and mechanical manuals consisting of export control warnings and details of the various operation systems on the Essex and other ships, including power, steering, aircraft and deck elevators, and damage and casualty controls.
The official paid Mr. Wei $5,000 for the materials and confirmed that at least 10 of the manuals were useful to him, according to the indictment. In May 2022, when Mr. Wei became a U.S. citizen, the Chinese handler also congratulated him, officials said at a press conference on Aug. 3.
During the same month, Mr. Wei also sent photographs of military equipment to the Chinese officer following a request from the official for details concerning an upcoming international maritime warfare exercise. In August 2022, he sent another 26 manuals detailing the power structure and operations of the Essex and similar ships, despite that the data were deemed “critical technology” by the U.S. Navy and subject to export controls.
Mr. Wei continued to transmit other sensitive data to the officer through 2023, including information about the layout and location of weapons systems, repairs to the Essex, and mechanical vulnerabilities of similar vessels. The officer ordered Wei to keep their relationship discreet and to destroy any evidence that could reveal their activities.
U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman of the Southern District of California said: “We have entrusted members of our military with tremendous responsibility and great faith. Our nation’s safety and security are in their hands. When a soldier or sailor chooses cash over country, and hands over national defense information in an ultimate act of betrayal, the United States will aggressively investigate and prosecute.”
In exchange for bribes, Mr. Zhao, who worked at Naval Base Ventura County in Port Hueneme, California, sent a Chinese intelligence officer nonpublic operational plans for a large-scale U.S. military exercise in the Indo-Pacific Region, according to the court filings. The information disclosed included the location and timing of Naval force movements, amphibious landings, and logistical support.
Mr. Zhao also made photocopies of electrical diagrams and blueprints for a radar system in a U.S. military base in Okinawa, Japan, according to the court documents.
He similarly received instructions to conceal his relationship with the officer, who posed as a maritime economic researcher, and erase any traces of the scheme.
“By sending this sensitive military information to an intelligence officer employed by a hostile foreign state, the defendant betrayed his sacred oath to protect our country and uphold the Constitution,” U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said. “Unlike the vast majority of U.S. Navy personnel who serve the nation with honor, distinction, and courage, Mr. Zhao chose to corruptly sell out his colleagues and his country.”
At the Pentagon, Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder refused to discuss the specifics of the cases.
“I think we have clear policies and procedures in place when it comes to safeguarding and protecting sensitive information. And so if those rules are violated, appropriate action will be taken,” he told reporters.
