Not only did these men steal national security information, but they also sold that information to China. How many more bad actors are hiding in our military?

From OPB. Three current and former U.S. Army soldiers in Oregon and Washington face federal charges they sold top-secret national security information to buyers based in China.

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Sgt. Jian Zhao, a battery supply officer, and 1st Lt. Li Tian, a health services administrator, were serving as active duty U.S. Army soldiers at Washington’s Joint Base Lewis-McChord. Ruoyu Duan is a former U.S. Army soldier living in Hillsboro. All three were arrested Thursday …

Zhao, who was indicted by a federal grand jury in Tacoma, faces charges he conspired to obtain and transmit information “relating to the national defense of the United States to individuals not entitled to receive it.”

Ultimately, Zhao sold 20 classified hard drives and other government property to people operating on behalf of China, according to federal prosecutors. He was paid at least $15,000. He also faces charges for theft of government property and bribery of a public official.

Duan and Tian were charged by a federal grand jury in Oregon with theft of government property and conspiring to bribe a public official. The Oregon indictment also identifies a “Conspirator 1,” as a “battery supply sergeant” stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

According to the 35-page indictment filed in Oregon, Tian and Conspirator 1 “collected and transmitted sensitive U.S. military information in exchange for money provided by Duan, who received money from the [People’s Republic of China].” The conspiracy stretched from at least Nov. 28, 2021, to Dec. 19, 2024, prosecutors allege. …

Chinese intelligence services use what are known as “co-optee” or a “cut-out” — such as a diplomat or academic — who works as a go-between for the source and the intelligence officer, “thereby increasing operation security,” the indictment states. They’re often tasked with targeting and handling an asset with access to open-source or classified information China “could use to its advantage.” …

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(Excerpt from OPB. Photo Credit: Arthur Wang on Unsplash)