Three individuals, including two active-duty U.S. Army soldiers and a former soldier, were arrested on Thursday and charged with allegedly selling military secrets to buyers in China, according to the Department of Justice.
The two active-duty soldiers, identified as Jian Zhao and Li Tian, were stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state. Zhao, a battery supply sergeant assigned to the 17th Field Artillery Brigade, and Tian, a health services administrator, are accused of conspiring to commit bribery and theft of government property. The third suspect, former soldier Ruoyu Duan from Hillsboro, Oregon, served in the Army from 2013 to 2017.
Zhao faces an additional charge of obtaining and transmitting “national defense information” to an “unnamed individual not authorized to receive it.”
According to an indictment filed in the U.S. District Court for Western Washington, Zhao managed over $55 million in Army property and allegedly sold nearly two dozen classified hard drives marked “Secret” or “Top Secret.” He is also accused of providing sensitive military documents related to High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) and information on U.S. military readiness in case of conflict with China. Prosecutors say Zhao received at least $15,000 in payments starting in August 2024.
A separate indictment in the U.S. District of Oregon alleges that between November 2021 and December 19, 2024, Duan and Tian conspired to steal and transmit sensitive military information regarding U.S. Army operational capabilities. Tian allegedly sent Duan links to Google Drive accounts containing information on U.S. military weapons systems, including Bradley and Stryker fighting vehicles.
Attorney General Pamela J. Bondi condemned the actions of the accused, stating, “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.”
FBI Special Agent in Charge W. Mike Herrington also emphasized the government’s commitment to national security, warning, “These arrests should send a message to would-be spies that we and our partners have the will and the ability to find you, track you down, and hold you to account.”
The case was investigated by the FBI and the Army Intelligence Command. It is part of a broader pattern of espionage-related arrests involving members of the U.S. armed forces in recent years.
In March 2024, a U.S. Army sergeant was charged with leaking classified information about advanced military weapons in exchange for $42,000. In August 2023, two U.S. Navy sailors were accused of sharing sensitive military data, including blueprints of a U.S. radar system in Japan. Additionally, a National Guardsman was arrested in April for allegedly posting a trove of classified documents on social media.
