The FBI has arrested three individuals on charges of treason, marking a significant development in an ongoing investigation under the agency’s new director, Kash Patel. The arrests were announced on Friday, just two weeks after Patel took office. Authorities have yet to disclose the full details of the case, but sources confirm that the suspects allegedly betrayed the nation and attempted to sell government secrets to China.
The U.S. Department of Justice said that two active-duty U.S. Army soldiers, Jian Zhao and Li Tian, and a veteran, Ruoyu Duan, were in the process of attempting to sell national defense intelligence to Chinese agents. Zhao and Tian were stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
In addition to treason charges, Tian and Duan face counts of bribery and theft of government property. Meanwhile, Zhao faces a charge of conspiracy to transmit national defense information to someone not authorized to have it.
“Jian Zhao and Li Tian, active-duty U.S. Army soldiers stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, along with Ruoyu Duan, a former U.S. Army soldier, were arrested today following indictments by federal grand juries in the District of Oregon and the Western District of Washington,” the DOJ said in a press release.
The soldiers are accused of “stealing America’s defense intelligence capabilities and empowering adversaries like China in betrayal of our country,” Patel wrote on X. He promised that the men would face “American justice.”
“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. 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. The FBI would like to thank U.S. Army Counterintelligence for their close partnership during this investigation,” Patel continued.
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.
— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) March 7, 2025
These individuals have been charged with…
Attorney General Pam Bondi spoke out on the arrests, saying that the suspects were caught betraying the United States, working to weaken the nation’s defense capabilities, and empowering adversaries in China.
“They will face swift, severe, and comprehensive justice,” Bondi said.
According to the press release, the men collected technical manuals and other sensitive materials, which Tian then transmitted to Duan in exchange for money, violating his duties as an active-duty U.S. Army officer. Specifically, Tian was assigned to gather information on U.S. military weapon systems, including details about the Bradley and Stryker Army fighting vehicles, and pass this information along to Duan.
Specifically, 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. In exchange for the sale of the classified hard drives, Zhao received at least $10,000. Zhao is further alleged to have conspired to sell an encryption capable computer that was stolen from the U.S. Government, and sensitive U.S. military documents and information, including information related to the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), and information related to U.S. military readiness in the event of a conflict with the People’s Republic of China. Zhao is alleged to have violated his duties as a U.S. Army Soldier and public official to protect sensitive military information in exchange for money. In total, Zhao is alleged to have corruptly received and accepted payments totaling at least $15,000.