Two U.S. Navy Sailors Arrested for Espionage, Bribery Tied to China
BETRAYAL
Jinchao Wei and Wenheng Zhao, 26, allegedly shared photos, videos, and documents of sensitive U.S. military information with Chinese spies, according to their indictments.
Two U.S. Navy sailors stationed in California have been arrested on espionage charges for allegedly sharing sensitive military information with China, the Justice Department announced Thursday. Jinchao Wei, also known as Patrick Wei, was a machinist’s mate who is now accused of leaking photos, videos, and documents about Navy ships and their systems to a Chinese intelligence officer. In a separate indictment, feds also charged Petty Officer Wenheng Zhao, aka Thomas Zhao, 26, with accepting bribes from a Chinese spy in exchange for secret U.S. military information, including operational plans for a military exercise in the Indo-Pacific Region. He allegedly pocketed $14,866 from the foreign intelligence officer. “These 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,” a top FBI official said in a statement. It was not immediately clear if the two cases were connected.
