Two US army personnel accused of leaking classified information
Two active-duty U.S. Army soldiers have been charged with selling sensitive military and national defense information to China, according to newly unsealed court records.
One of the accused, Jian Zhao, a battery supply sergeant stationed at Joint Base Lewis McChord in Washington, is alleged to have communicated with an unnamed co-conspirator and provided them with classified data, according to federal prosecutors.
Another active-duty soldier from the same army base, identified as Li Tian, has also been charged by Oregon federal prosecutors for a similar offense.
FBI director calls it an act of betrayal
On X (formerly Twitter), FBI Director Kash Patel condemned the actions of the accused soldiers, stating:
“These individuals have been charged with stealing America’s defense intelligence capabilities and empowering adversaries like China in betrayal of our country.”
“They will now face American justice,” he added.
Charges against Jian Zhao
Prosecutors allege that Jian Zhao repeatedly sold classified military information between July and December last year. He reportedly provided an encrypted military computer and 20 classified hard drives to an unidentified contact.
Zhao now faces multiple charges, including:
- Conspiring to obtain and transmit national defense information
- Bribery
- Theft of government property
Another US soldier accused of leaking defense secrets
The second soldier, Li Tian, is accused of sharing sensitive information about the US military’s weapons systems with a former soldier.
According to a press release from the US Justice Department, Tian allegedly shared classified documents related to the Bradley and Stryker US Army fighting vehicles with Ruoyu Duan, a former US Army soldier.
Both Tian and Duan were arrested on March 6 and have been charged with conspiring to commit bribery and theft of government property, according to the DOJ statement.
Attorney General calls for swift justice
In response to the arrests, Attorney General Pam Bondi stated:
“The defendants arrested today are accused of betraying our country, actively working to weaken America’s defense capabilities, and empowering our adversaries in China.”
“They will face swift, severe, and comprehensive justice,” she added.
