FBI Director Kash Patel announced that the law enforcement agency, along with staff for Attorney General Pam Bondi, arrested two current U.S. Army soldiers and one former U.S. Army soldier, who allegedly stole government secrets for the benefit of China.
Jian Zhao and Li Tian, the two active duty soldiers, and Ruoyu Duan, a former soldier, were arrested on Thursday “following indictments by federal grand juries in the District of Oregon and the Western District of Washington,” according to a release from the Justice Department.
Duan and Tian allegedly engaged in a conspiracy between November 2021 and December 2024 that involved gathering “sensitive military information related to the United States Army’s operational capabilities.”
That allegedly included “technical manuals and other sensitive information.”
Tian then allegedly transferred that information to Duan in return for payment.
Tian allegedly recovered information about American weapons systems, like the Bradley and Stryker vehicles, then sent the data to Duan.
Zhao allegedly conspired to “transmit national defense information to individuals based in China.”
He received at least $15,000 for the sale of classified hard drives and other sensitive information.
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He also allegedly stole an encryption capable computer with information about the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, as well as American military readiness “in the event of a conflict with the People’s Republic of China.”
Those alleged actions violate the duties of Army officers.
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.
These individuals have been charged with…
— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) March 7, 2025
“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,” Patel posted to X on Friday.
“These individuals have been charged with stealing America’s defense intelligence capabilities and empowering adversaries like China in betrayal of our country. They will now face American justice.”
Patel, Bondi, and other federal officials emphasized the need to handle such breaches.
“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, per the DOJ release.
“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,” he continued.
“The FBI would like to thank U.S. Army Counterintelligence for their close partnership during this investigation.”
Bondi meanwhile said that “the defendants arrested today are accused of betraying our country, actively working to weaken America’s defense capabilities and empowering our adversaries in China.”
She vowed that “[t]hey will face swift, severe, and comprehensive justice.”
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