Two active-duty and one former US Army soldier have been accused of conspiring to sell “sensitive” and “top secret” national defence information to China, according to a Justice Department statement.
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Jian Zhao and Li Tian, who were stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, along with former soldier Ruoyu Duan, were arrested on indictments from Oregon and Washington, the statement said.
“The defendants … are accused of betraying our country, actively working to weaken America’s defence capabilities, and empowering our adversaries in China,” said US Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “They will face swift, severe, and comprehensive justice.”
FBI Director Kash Patel said on social media that the arrests were carried out by the Federal Bureau of Investigations “along with our inter-agency partners,” under Bondi’s leadership.
Patel also emphasised in his social media post that the alleged actions of the accused amounted to a “betrayal of our country”.
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The Justice Department said that between November 28, 2021 and December 19, 2024, Duan and Tian conspired to secretly gather sensitive military information on US operational capabilities, including technical manuals and other confidential materials.