A U.S. Navy sailor stationed at Naval Base San Diego has been arrested on espionage charges for conspiring to send sensitive national defense information to an intelligence officer working for China. Jinchao Wei reportedly communicated and shared photographs, videos and manuals detailing the operations of Navy ships in exchange for payment, violating export control regulations and compromising U.S. security, according to an Aug. 3 news release.
"We have entrusted members of our military with tremendous responsibility and great faith," U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman said in the release. "Our nation’s safety and security are in their hands. When a soldier or sailor chooses cash over country, and hands over national defense information in an ultimate act of betrayal, the United States will aggressively investigate and prosecute."
Wei was reportedly detained on suspicion of spying, the release said. He is due to appear in federal court today after being indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of conspiring to give information about national defense to an intelligence agent operating for the People's Republic of China.
Wei, also known as Patrick Wei, is accused of serving as an active duty sailor on the amphibious assault ship U.S.S. Essex while it was based at Naval Base San Diego, according to the indictment, which was unsealed this morning. Wei had access to sensitive national defense information concerning the ship's armaments, propulsion and desalination systems since he was a machinist's mate with a U.S. security clearance, the release reported.
Amphibious assault ships like the Essex are the backbone of the U.S. Navy's expeditionary strike capabilities and amphibious readiness, giving the U.S. military the ability to project power and retain presence, according to the release.
This district has never seen an espionage indictment under U.S. Code Section 794, and up until today, the entire nation has only seen five such charges in the previous six years. The act is only used in the most severe cases where national security information has been transmitted with the intent to harm the U.S. or benefit a foreign power, the release said.
The indictment claims the People's Republic of China intelligence officer first contacted Wei in February 2022, asking for information about the U.S.S. Essex and other Navy ships, according to the release. The Chinese officer specifically instructed Wei to send him images, recordings and papers pertaining to U.S. Navy ships and their systems. The two decided to use encrypted ways of communication and delete any records of their chats in order to keep their communications private.
The indictment also claims Wei delivered the intelligence officer more than 30 technical and mechanical manuals in June 2022, the release said. These manuals described the functioning of numerous systems on board the Essex and other ships of a similar design, including power, steering, aircraft and deck elevators, as well as damage and casualty controls. They also contained export control warnings.
Wei acknowledged to the intelligence officer at least 10 of those guides were helpful to him, the release reported. The indictment claims Wei received $5,000 in exchange for passing those materials.
The intelligence officer asked Wei in June 2022 for details regarding the number and preparation of U.S. Marines for an impending international naval combat exercise. Wei supplied the intelligence officer numerous images of military hardware in answer to this request, according to the release.
