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Two active-duty U.S. Army soldiers and a former soldier have been charged with allegedly selling sensitive military information to China. The Department of Justice announced the arrests on Thursday (March 6), involving Jian Zhao and Li Tian, stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington, and Ruoyu Duan, a former soldier from Hillsboro, Oregon.
Zhao, a battery supply sergeant, is accused of selling classified hard drives and documents, including those related to the High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), to buyers in China. He allegedly received at least $15,000 for his actions. Tian and Duan are charged with conspiring to commit bribery and theft of government property. They allegedly transmitted sensitive information, including technical manuals for military vehicles, to China.
Duan acted as a liaison, receiving payments from China and distributing them to Tian and others. The indictment highlights the use of intermediaries by Chinese intelligence to secure sensitive U.S. information.
The FBI and Army Intelligence Command led the investigation, emphasizing the ongoing threat of foreign intelligence targeting U.S. military personnel. Attorney General Pamela J. Bondi stated that the defendants will face "swift, severe, and comprehensive justice."