Two US Navy sailors arrested for allegedly sharing sensitive military information with China

Two US Navy sailors have been indicted and arrested for allegedly sending sensitive US military information to Chinese intelligence officers.

One of the sailors, Jinchao Wei, was arrested Wednesday as he arrived for work at Naval Base San Diego, according to a statement released Thursday by the US Attorney for the Southern District of California. The base is one of the largest Navy installations in the Pacific.

The other sailor who has been arrested, Petty Officer Wenheng Zhao, worked at Naval Base Ventura County in Port Hueneme in California.

The indictment against Wei was unsealed Thursday and is separate from the charges against Zhao.

"The charges demonstrate the (People's Republic of China's) determination to obtain information that is critical to our national defense by any means, so it can be used to their advantage," Matt Olson, the Justice Department's assistant attorney general for national security, said at a news conference Thursday.

Prosecutors say that Wei, who served as a machinist's mate on the USS Essex, allegedly entered into a "handler/asset" relationship with a Chinese intelligence officer beginning in February 2022. Machinist's mates are a class of engineers, and are responsible for operating, maintaining and repairing ship equipment.

As part of that alleged arrangement, Wei sent photos and videos of the Essex and other Navy ships to the Chinese officer, the indictment says, as well as dozens of technical and mechanical manuals relating to the ships' layouts and weapons systems. In return, Wei allegedly received thousands of dollars.