A US Navy SEAL admitted on Tuesday accepting bribes from a Chinese intelligence officer in exchange for passing on sensitive American military information to the communist power.
Petty Officer Wenheng Zhao, 26, of Monterey Park, Calif., pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy with the intelligence officer and one count of receiving a bribe, both felonies, according to the United States Attorney for the Central District of California.
“Officer Zhao betrayed his country and the men and women of the United States Navy by accepting bribes from a foreign adversary.” U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said Tuesday. “While he and the PRC official he served went to great lengths to conceal their corrupt scheme, investigators were vigilant in uncovering this shameful plot.”
“Today’s resolution, requiring Zhao to plead guilty to all charges against him, demonstrates that we will act quickly and decisively to protect our nation from those who seek to undermine our security.”
Zhao admitted to taking nearly $15,000 in bribes from the Chinese intelligence official between August 2021 and May 2023, when he was working at the Ventura County Naval Base in Port Hueneme, California.
According to the Justice Department, Zhao, who had a security clearance, secretly collected and transmitted information to China related to the Navy’s operational security, military training and critical infrastructure.
He specifically confessed to having transmitted plans for a large-scale maritime training exercise in the Pacific theater, operational orders and electrical schematics and blueprints for a Japanese radar system.
“The intelligence services of the People’s Republic of China actively target military clearance holders, seeking to lure them with money to provide sensitive government information,” said Deputy Attorney General Homeland Security Matthew G. Olsen. “When contacted by his co-conspirator, instead of reporting it to the Navy, the defendant chose greed to protect the national security of the United States.”
“He is now responsible for his crimes. To others who are tempted to put personal gain ahead of patriotic duty, please know that we are committed to identifying you and bringing you to justice,” Olsen added.
Zhao is scheduled to be sentenced on January 8, 2024. He faces up to 20 years in federal prison.
Federal prosecutors announced Zhao’s arrest in August at the same time a second Navy sailorJinchao Wei, 22, was arrested for an alleged plot to pass sensitive security information to Chinese officials.
Wei, who served aboard the San Diego-based USS Essex, was arrested on espionage charges after he allegedly provided China with detailed information on the ship and its crew.
Español de Venezuela 
English 