Two active duty U.S. Army soldiers and a former soldier were arrested on Thursday for allegedly gathering and sending sensitive information to individuals in China.
Jian Zhao and Li Tian, active-duty soldiers stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, along with Ruoyu Duan, a former soldier, were arrested following indictments by federal grand juries in the District of Oregon and the Western District of Washington, according to a Department of Justice release.
Tian and Duan were charged in the District of Oregon for conspiring to commit bribery and theft of government property. Zhao was charged in the Western District of Washington for conspiring to obtain and transmit national defense information to an individual not authorized to receive it and also for bribery and theft of government property.
“The defendants arrested today are accused of betraying our country, actively working to weaken America’s defense capabilities and empowering our adversaries in China,” said Attorney General Pamela J. Bondi in a statement. “They will face swift, severe, and comprehensive justice.”
The indictment in the District of Oregon alleges that beginning on or about Nov. 28, 2021, and continuing to at least on or about Dec. 19, 2024, Duan and Tian along with others, known and unknown to the grand jury conspired with each other to surreptitiously gather sensitive military information related to the United States Army’s operational capabilities, including technical manuals and other sensitive information, and that Tian transmitted this information to Duan in return for money, in violation of his official duties as an active-duty U.S. Army officer.
Tian was tasked with gathering information related to American military weapon systems, including information related to the Bradley and Stryker Army fighting vehicles, and transmitting them to Duan.
“While bribery and corruption have thrived under China’s Communist Party, this behavior cannot be tolerated with our service members who are entrusted with sensitive military information, including national defense information,” said FBI Director Kash Patel.
The indictment in the Western District of Washington alleges that beginning in or about July 2024, and continuing to the date of the arrest, Zhao, an active-duty supply sergeant, conspired with others known and unknown to the grand jury to obtain and transmit national defense information to individuals based in China. Zhao is further alleged to have committed bribery and theft of government property.
Zhao was charged with conspiracy to collect and transmit several classified hard drives, including hard drives marked “SECRET” and “TOP SECRET”, negotiating with individuals based in China for their sale, and agreeing to send the classified hard drives to the individuals in China.
In exchange for the sale of the classified hard drives, Zhao received at least $10,000, according to the DOJ. Zhao is also alleged to have conspired to sell an encryption-capable computer that was stolen from the U.S. Government, and sensitive U.S. military documents and information, including information related to the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), and information related to U.S. military readiness in the event of a conflict with the People’s Republic of China.
Zhao is alleged to have violated his duties as a soldier and public official to protect sensitive military information in exchange for money. Zhao is alleged to have corruptly received and accepted payments totaling at least $15,000.