US active-duty Army soldier arrested for selling classified info to China: $10,000 in exchange for ‘TOP SECRET’

Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Kash Patel said on Friday that the agency arrested "two active duty US Army soldiers and one former US Army soldier for theft of government property and a bribery scheme." According to the official statement, the indictment in Oregon alleged that beginning on or about November 28, 2021, and continuing to at least on or about December 19, 2024, Duan and Tian along with others, “known and unknown to the grand jury conspired with each other to surreptitiously gather sensitive military information related to the United States Army’s operational capabilities, including technical manuals and other sensitive information, and that Tian transmitted this information to Duan in return for money, in violation of his official duties as an active-duty US Army officer.” “Specifically, Tian was tasked with gathering information related US military weapon systems, including information related to the Bradley and Stryker US Army fighting vehicles, and transmitting them to Duan,” the statement read. Meanwhile, the indictment in the Western District of Washington alleged that beginning in or about July 2024, and continuing to the date of the arrest, Jian Zhao, an active-duty US Army Supply Sergeant, conspired “to the grand jury to obtain and transmit national defense information to individuals based in China. Zhao is further alleged to have committed bribery and theft of government property.” $10,000 in exchange for ‘TOP SECRET’ 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. Attorney General Pamela J. Bondi, “They will face swift, severe, and comprehensive justice.” Meanwhile, FBI Director Kash Patel said that 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."