Three U.S. Army soldiers, two active and one former, were arrested on Thursday for selling sensitive military documents and information to buyers in China.
Li Tian and Ruoyu Duan were charged in Oregon for “conspiring to commit bribery and theft of government property,” the Department of Justice said. Jian Zhao was charged in Washington for the same crimes but also for “conspiring to obtain and transmit national defense information to an individual not authorized to receive it.” The unauthorized recipients were based in China.
“The defendants arrested today are accused of betraying our country, actively working to weaken America’s defense capabilities and empowering our adversaries in China,” U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in a statement. “They will face swift, severe, and comprehensive justice.”
Zhao, an active-duty sergeant stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state, allegedly conspired to obtain and transmit classified hard drives marked “Secret” and “Top Secret” to Chinese buyers since July 2024, according to an indictment filed Wednesday in the Western District of Washington.
He also conspired to sell an encrypted computer that belonged to the U.S. government and sensitive military documents and information that shed light on an artillery missile system and the U.S. military’s readiness to fight in a potential conflict with China.
In exchange for the military secrets, Zhao pocketed at least $15,000. Only Zhao’s indictment was made public by the Justice Department.
Meanwhile, Tian and Duan worked together between November 2021 and December 2024 to gather technical manuals and other information on the U.S. Army’s operational capabilities. Tian sent these secrets to Duan. The information related to military weapon systems, including the Bradley and Stryker armored fighting vehicles.
Like Zhao, Tian was stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord. Duan served in the Army from 2013 to 2017. Their indictment was filed in the District of Oregon.
All three soldiers were accused of violating their duties and selling out the U.S. to a foreign adversary.
“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, including national defense information,” FBI Director Kash Patel said.
“The FBI and our partners will continue to work to uncover attempts by those in China to steal sensitive U.S. military information and hold all accountable who play a role in betraying our national defense. The FBI would like to thank U.S. Army Counterintelligence for their close partnership during this investigation.”
China issued a pointed message at the U.S. this week, saying it is willing to fight in any type of war after President Donald Trump slapped Beijing with 20 percent tariffs on Tuesday. The U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports were previously 10 percent. China returned the favor, imposing additional 15 percent tariffs on American goods.
For instance, a National Guardsman based in Massachusetts was arrested last April for posting classified military documents to a popular messaging app used by gamers called Discord. Additionally, a CIA official was arrested in November for leaking classified U.S. intelligence about Israel’s planned airstrike on Iran last fall. The shared national defense information delayed Israel’s plans, and the leak was considered a major security breach of U.S. intelligence.
