Three US Soldiers Indicted for Selling Secrets
The Department of Justice reported three US soldiers were involved in a conspiracy of selling secret information among themselves and to foreign countries. All three are under arrest following an indictment by the federal grand juries in the District of Oregon and the Western District of Washington.
The men accused in the conspiracy are active duty soldiers Jian Zhou and Li Tian, along with former soldier Ruoyu Duan.
Beginning in 2021, Ruoyu Duan, allegedly conspired with Tian and others (for now unnamed) to “gather sensitive military information related to the United States Army’s operational capabilities.” This includes technical manuals and sensitive information.
Moreover, in exchange for money, Tian provided Duan with information regarding US military weapons systems and vehicles. Aside from receiving money, what Duan did with this information is unknown.
Beginning in July 2024, Jian Zhou provided national defense information to unspecified Chinese individuals. The Department of Justice states in detail:
“Specifically, Zhao was charged for his conspiracy to collect and transmit several classified hard drives, including hard drives marked “SECRET” and “TOP SECRET”, negotiating with individuals based in China for their sale, and agreeing to send the classified hard drives to the individuals in China. In exchange for the sale of the classified hard drives, Zhao received at least $10,000.”
In total, Zhou received $15,000 in payments for his provision of the hard drives and other secret information.
Zhou is additionally charged on two other counts, including bribery of a public official, and theft of government property. The same charges apply to Duan and Tian.
In response to these indictments, US 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.”
