Two active-duty soldiers and one former service member have been arrested and charged with selling classified US military information to Chinese interests, according to the Department of Justice.
Sgt. Jian Zhao and Lt. Li Tian, both stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state, along with former soldier Ruoyu Duan from Oregon, face multiple federal charges including conspiracy, bribery, and theft of government property.
According to court documents, Zhao allegedly sold approximately 20 government hard drives marked "SECRET" and "TOP SECRET" to Chinese buyers for at least $15,000 between August and December 2024. The sensitive materials included information about military exercises, strategic rockets and missiles, and the HIMARS rocket launcher system currently used by Ukraine.
Investigators say Tian and Duan worked together from late 2021 through 2024 to gather and sell technical manuals for Bradley and Stryker armored vehicles. Duan, who served in the Army from 2013 to 2017, allegedly received over $53,000 through PayPal and Zelle accounts linked to China.
"While bribery and corruption have thrived under China's Communist Party, this behavior cannot be tolerated with our service members who are entrusted with sensitive military information," said FBI Director Kash Patel.
The investigation uncovered extensive evidence including payment receipts, WeChat and Facebook messages, and photos showing classified materials being documented. During negotiations over sensitive documents, Zhao acknowledged the risk, setting prices between $3,000-6,500 for HIMARS-related information alone.
A federal judge ordered Tian to remain in custody, citing him as a "danger to the safety of others" with risk of destroying or transmitting additional materials. The case continues as authorities work to determine if all stolen information has been recovered.
These arrests follow previous incidents of military personnel at the same base being charged with attempting to sell secrets to China, highlighting ongoing counterintelligence challenges faced by the US military.