California: 2 Navy Sailors Allegedly Sold U.S. Military Secrets to China, Charged for Spying

By BERT HOOVER Aug 04 2023, 01:32 AM EDT

Federal prosecutors made a significant announcement Thursday, revealing the arrest of two California Navy sailors on charges related to alleged spying for China, FOX News reports.

The accused individuals are separately charged with passing national defense information to Chinese intelligence officials in exchange for cash payments.

One of the arrested sailors is Jinchao "Patrick" Wei, a 22-year-old petty officer 2nd class, who was taken into custody on Wednesday. He faces espionage charges, specifically conspiracy to and committing the communication of defense information to aid a foreign government.

Wei served as a machinist's mate aboard the USS Essex, an amphibious ship currently undergoing maintenance at Naval Base San Diego.

The second sailor, Petty Officer Wenheng Zhao, aged 26 and from Monterey Park, California, was also apprehended on Wednesday by FBI and NCIS agents. He is charged with conspiracy and receipt of a bribe by a public official, as stated in his indictment.

Zhao worked at Naval Base Ventura County in Port Hueneme and held an active US security clearance, granting him access to classified information.

Charges to California Navy Sailors Reflect China Interest in the Navy's Pacific Fleet

The charges against the two US Navy sailors shed light on the China government's profound interest in the Navy's Pacific Fleet and other aspects of the American military's operations in the region.

This aligns with a broader pattern of Chinese efforts to illicitly obtain American corporate and national security secrets, according to NY Times.

The extent of Chinese espionage, including cyber breaches, has raised significant concerns among top national security officials, prompting them to sound the alarm about the threat posed by the Chinese government.

In his testimony before Congress, FBI Director Christopher A. Wray issued a stark warning, emphasizing that no other country poses a more substantial threat to American innovation, ideas, economic security, and national security than China.

California Navy Sailors Pleaded Not Guilty

Jinchao "Patrick" Wei and Wenheng Zhao, the California Navy sailors accused of spying for China, have pleaded not guilty in federal courts in San Diego and Los Angeles. AP reports. They will remain in custody until their detention hearings are scheduled to take place on August 8 in the respective cities.

US officials have long expressed concerns about the espionage threat posed by the Chinese government.

In recent years, criminal cases have been brought against Beijing intelligence operatives involved in stealing sensitive government and commercial information, including through illegal hacking.

Wei, who was born in China, was approached by a Chinese intelligence officer in February 2022 while he was applying for naturalized US citizenship, according to prosecutors. He allegedly admitted to the officer that he knew the arrangement could impact his application.

It is claimed that Wei received between $10,000 to $15,000 from this arrangement with the unnamed Chinese intelligence officer in the past year. If convicted, he could face a sentence of life in prison.

Zhao, who was stationed at Naval Base Ventura County, has been charged with conspiring to collect nearly $15,000 in bribes from a Chinese intelligence officer.

Zhao is accused of providing US naval exercise plans, operational orders, and photos and videos of electrical systems at Navy facilities in exchange. The information included operational plans for a significant US military exercise in the Indo-Pacific region, detailing the location and timing of naval force movements.

Zhao also allegedly photographed electrical diagrams and blueprints for a radar system on a US military base in Okinawa, Japan. If found guilty, Zhao could face up to 20 years in federal prison.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Bert Hoover

WATCH: 2 US Navy sailors arrested for allegedly spying for China - From ABC News