U.S. Army soldiers accused of selling military secrets, including to China

Two active-duty U.S. soldiers and one former soldier were arrested after being accused of selling state secrets to foreign countries, including China, the Department of Justice said Thursday. 

Active-duty soldier Li Tian and former soldier Ruoyu Duan were charged in Oregon with conspiring to commit bribery and the theft of government property. Active-duty soldier Jian Zhao was charged in Washington state for conspiring to obtain and transmit national defense information to an individual not authorized to receive it, and for bribery and theft of government property. 

Attorney General Pam Bondi said all three men 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,” Bondi said. 

Duan and Tian, along with other conspirators, allegedly worked together to “surreptitiously gather sensitive military information related to the United States Army’s operational capabilities” from late November 2021 until December 2024, the Justice Department said. Tian allegedly gathered the materials, which included technical manuals and information about U.S. military weapons systems, and gave them to Duan in exchange for money, the Justice Department said.  

Court documents allege that Zhao began conspiring to steal and sell military information in July 2024. He was allegedly responsible for sending the information to individuals based in China, the Department of Justice said. The information he allegedly transmitted included classified hard drives, including devices marked “SECRET” and “TOP SECRET,” according to court documents.  

Zhao also allegedly conspired to sell an encryption-capable computer that was stolen from the U.S. government. A person with access to the computer would be able to read sensitive encrypted documents. Zhao also allegedly sold information related to the military’s High Mobility Artillery Rocket System and information about U.S. military readiness in regards to China. 

The theft and sale of the information could “place the national security of the United States, and the safety of Defendant Zhao’s fellow soldiers, in jeopardy,” the indictment said. 

The information was sent to a person who court documents refer to as “Co-Conspirator 1.” The co-conspirator lives in Changchun, China, according to the indictment, and found buyers for the information and documents that Zhao was transmitting. Zhao also spoke to other unnamed co-conspirators about the sale of information. Zhao allegedly received at least $15,000 for the stolen information. 

The case was investigated by the FBI and U.S. Army Counterintelligence Command, the Department of Justice said.