An American Navy petty officer was sentenced to serve a prison sentence for providing confidential state information to Chinese intelligence, according to the Department of Justice, this Monday (8).
Wenheng Zhao, 26, pleaded guilty to conspiring with a foreign agent and accepting bribes, in federal court in California. This Monday, he was sentenced to 27 months in prison and ordered to pay a fine of US$5,500 (approximately R$26,800). Another soldier, Jinchao Wei, was also detained on espionage charges.
According to the US Department of Justice, Zhao, who worked at a naval base north of Los Angeles, received almost US$15,000 from a Chinese official between August 2021 and May 2023. In return , he passed on sensitive information about the operational security of the US Navy, involving the country's critical exercises and infrastructure.
“Zhao betrayed his solemn oath to defend the country and endangered those serving in the American military,” US Deputy Attorney General Matthew Olsen said in a statement.
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