The FBI arrested three people on charges of treason this week, and believe it or not, none of them are senators or congressmen.
In a stunning blow to Chinese espionage efforts, FBI Director Kash Patel announced the arrest of three Army personnel who thought they could sell out America's national security for Chinese cash. Two active-duty soldiers and one veteran are learning the hard way that treason doesn't pay.
The traitors—Jian Zhao, Li Tian, and former soldier Ruoyu Duan—were stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord when they decided to betray the United States. These Benedict Arnolds apparently thought they could get away with stealing classified information about critical U.S. military capabilities, including details about our Bradley and Stryker fighting vehicles and High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) systems.
“These individuals have been charged with stealing America’s defense intelligence capabilities and empowering adversaries like China in betrayal of our country,” Patel said in a statement on X. “They will now face American justice.”
BREAKING: I can now report that today the FBI, along with our interagency partners led by @AGPamBondi, arrested two active duty U.S. Army soldiers and one former U.S. Army soldier for theft of government property and a bribery scheme.
— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) March 7, 2025
These individuals have been charged with…
“The defendants arrested today are accused of betraying our country, actively working to weaken America’s defense capabilities and empowering our adversaries in China,” said Attorney General Pamela J. Bondi. “They will face swift, severe, and comprehensive justice.”
A Department of Justice press release has more:
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. Zhao is further alleged to have conspired to sell an encryption capable computer that was stolen from the U.S. Government, and sensitive U.S. military documents and information, including information related to the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), and information related to U.S. military readiness in the event of a conflict with the People’s Republic of China. Zhao is alleged to have violated his duties as a U.S. Army Soldier and public official to protect sensitive military information in exchange for money. In total, Zhao is alleged to have corruptly received and accepted payments totaling at least $15,000.
Let's be crystal clear about what happened here: While serving in the U.S. Army, these individuals were secretly working to undermine America's military advantage over our biggest strategic rival. They didn't just violate their oaths—they actively worked to weaken our nation's defense capabilities.
“While bribery and corruption have thrived under China’s Communist Party, this behavior cannot be tolerated with our service members who are entrusted with sensitive military information, including national defense information,” Patel said in a statement. “The FBI and our partners will continue to work to uncover attempts by those in China to steal sensitive U.S. military information and hold all accountable who play a role in betraying our national defense. The FBI would like to thank U.S. Army Counterintelligence for their close partnership during this investigation.”
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What makes this case particularly alarming is the sensitive nature of the compromised information. We're not talking about cafeteria menus here—these traitors were selling details about U.S. military readiness plans regarding China, advanced weapons systems, and even an encryption-capable government computer.
The successful investigation, conducted in partnership with U.S. Army Counterintelligence, proves that America's security apparatus remains vigilant against internal threats. But it also raises serious questions about how these individuals managed to access such sensitive information in the first place.
One thing's certain — these arrests send a clear message to China and any other hostile nations thinking they can buy America's military secrets: we're watching, we're investigating, and we're going to catch you. And when we do, American justice will be swift and severe.
The three traitors are about to learn a harsh lesson about the price of betraying the greatest nation on Earth. Something tells me that $15,000 won't seem like such a good deal when they're staring at federal prison walls for the next few decades.
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