Two members of the US Navy serving in southern California have been charged with providing sensitive military information to the Chinese government, the New York Times reports.
A sailor aboard the amphibious assault ship Essex, moored in San Diego, 22-year-old machinist's mate Jinchao (Patrick) Wei allegedly provided information like 30 US technical and mechanical manuals, as well as technical capabilities and vulnerabilities for the ship he worked on as well as others. Charges under the Espionage Act allege Wei, a naturalized US citizen, betrayed his adopted country for his homeland, but in some cases, it insinuates Wei did it for money; it alleges he was paid $5,000 for the 30 manuals. Court papers note Wei became a citizen while working for the Chinese; Wei's Chinese handler congratulated him when he took his citizenship oath.
The second charged, Petty Officer Wenheng (Thomas) Zhao, 26, from Naval Base Ventura County delivered electrical diagrams and blueprints for a radar system stationed on a U.S. military base in Okinawa, Japan to his handler, as well as plans for a US military exercise, detailing the travel, maneuvers and other specs of US Navy vessels in the Indo-Pacific fleet. Zhao was not charged under the espionage act, but prosecutors could seek up to 20 years in prison if convicted on all counts.