Posted on 08/21/2025 9:44:57 AM PDT by Red Badger
A U.S. Navy sailor was convicted in federal court after selling military secrets to China, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced on Wednesday.
Jinchao Wei, a 25-year-old Navy sailor previously stationed at Naval Base San Diego, now potentially faces life in prison after he sold defense articles to a Chinese intelligence agent for $12,000, according to the DOJ. Wei was arrested in August 2023 after selling the secrets for nearly 18 months, sending technical documentation, naval vessel whereabouts and defensive specifications of vessels.
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“The defendant’s actions represent an egregious betrayal of the trust placed in him as a member of the U.S. military,” U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon said in the announcement. “By trading military secrets to the People’s Republic of China for cash, he jeopardized not only the lives of his fellow sailors but also the security of the entire nation and our allies. The jury’s verdict serves as a crucial reminder that the Department of Justice will vigorously prosecute traitors.” (RELATED: Navy Ships Gathering Rust In Repair Yards As China Flexes In Pacific)
The DOJ did not respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
Cartelville Text The Chinese national flag flies outside the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing on July 26, 2023. China's foreign minister Qin Gang was removed from office on July 25, state media reported, after disappearing from the public eye for a month with little explanation from the ruling Communist Party. (Photo by GREG BAKER/AFP via Getty Images) The Chinese national flag flies outside the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing on July 26, 2023. (Photo by GREG BAKER/AFP via Getty Images)
In February 2022, Wei was contacted by a Chinese agent, who initially pretended to be a naval enthusiast, according to the DOJ. Wei immediately suspected that the agent was involved in espionage despite his disguise, even telling a friend that he was “no idiot” and that the agent’s messages were “obviously fucking espionage.”
Despite his friend advising him to cut contact with the agent, he moved their conversation onto an encrypted messaging app, and began sending the agent the sensitive information in exchange for cash, according to the DOJ.
“In total, Wei sold the intelligence officer approximately 60 technical and operating manuals about U.S. Navy ships, as well as dozens of photographs and papers about the U.S. Navy and Wei’s assignments on the Essex,” the DOJ said in their announcement. “Many of the manuals contained conspicuous export-control warnings on their cover pages.”
Wei revealed the Essex’s specifications for its power, steering, weapons control, aircraft, deck elevators, damage and casualty controls, according to the DOJ. Wei also created multiple online accounts in order to cover his tracks, regularly using digital “dead drops” that wiped their correspondence from records after 72 hours, according to the DOJ.
Wei called his Chinese handler “Big Brother Andy” and used multiple encrypted avenues to keep their correspondence secret, according to the DOJ.
Wei’s sentencing is scheduled for December 1, 2025, according to the DOJ. The maximum penalty for espionage is life in prison.
Why is the DOJ involved in this?
Why is this not 100% military investigation/ prosecution?
Why is a career navy man, stealing navy secrets from a navy base and selling them to the enemy being tried in a civilian court?
Agreed.
UCMJ matter.
I asked AI :
how was Jinchao Wei caught ?
Jinchao Wei, a U.S. Navy sailor, was caught through a combination of investigative efforts by the FBI and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS), focusing on his suspicious communications and activities. Here’s a summary of how he was apprehended:
Initial Suspicion and Monitoring: Wei’s activities came under scrutiny after he began communicating with a Chinese intelligence officer in February 2022 via a Chinese social media platform. The officer initially posed as a naval enthusiast but later revealed their true intent. Wei himself suspected espionage early on, as evidenced by a conversation with a fellow sailor where he described the contact as “extremely suspicious” and the situation as “quite obviously f***ing espionage.” This likely raised red flags, prompting closer monitoring by authorities.
Evidence of Communications: Federal investigators gathered substantial evidence of Wei’s interactions with the Chinese intelligence officer. This included phone conversations, electronic messages, and audio recordings showing Wei exchanging sensitive information. He used encrypted apps and a new computer and phone provided by his handler to conceal their communications, but these efforts were tracked by investigators. Wei and his handler also used disappearing messages and virtual dead drops on password-protected websites, which were later uncovered.
Incriminating Actions and Payments: Over 18 months, Wei sent photographs, videos, and over 60 restricted Navy manuals, many marked with export-control warnings, to the Chinese officer. He received payments totaling more than $12,000, which were traced by investigators. These transactions, along with his admissions to his mother via text messages about leaking secrets, provided clear evidence of his illegal activities.
Arrest at Naval Base: Wei was arrested on August 3, 2023, when he arrived for work at Naval Base San Diego, where he was stationed on the USS Essex. The timing suggests that authorities had built a strong case and chose to apprehend him in a controlled environment to prevent further leaks or attempts to destroy evidence.
Post-Arrest Confession: After his arrest, Wei admitted to the FBI during an interview that he had sold technical and mechanical manuals, stating, “I’m screwed.” This confession further solidified the case against him.
The investigation leveraged Wei’s own communications, his financial transactions, and his acknowledgment of the espionage to build a case, leading to his arrest and eventual conviction on August 20, 2025, for espionage and related charges.
I think i would feel a lot better with this guy being locked in the brig for life.
Rather than civilian prison, with the potential for early release, over crowding. or work release where he can be on the next plane/ boat to China.
Why is a career navy man, stealing navy secrets from a navy base
and selling them to the enemy being tried in a civilian court?
Good question.
When it comes to the Chinese, we are “Swiss Cheese.”
Many Chinese (from the PRC) are in senior levels of government, our bureaucracy, research facilities, industry, and in the DoD.
https://nypost.com/2020/12/08/suspected-chinese-spy-slept-with-courted-us-politicians-report/
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-05-25/former-cia-agent-pleads-guilty-to-spying-for-china/103893232
https://www.aol.com/news/chinese-spy-arrested-texas-university-113700293.html
The Chinese are easily able to leverage family that is still in the PRC, money (they have it), sex, and in some cases a sense of loyalty to the homeland.
It’s just a consequence of having a large Chinese demographic.
Not sure what to do about it.
EVERY person of Chinese descent living in the U.S. IS A SPY FOR CHINA AND SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED IN OUR MILITARY.
WATERBOARD HIM, then EXECUTE HIM by firing squad.
Chinese American Jinchao Wei, a US Navy sailor, was caught through a combination of investigative efforts by the FBI and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS):
<><>they focused on his suspicious communications and activities.
<><>Wei came under scrutiny after he began communicating with a Chinese intel officer in Feb 2022
<><>he was using a Chinese social media platform.
<><>The officer initially posed as a “naval enthusiast” but later revealed the true intent.
<><>Wei himself suspected espionage early on, as evidenced by a conversation with a fellow sailor
<><>Wei described the contact as “extremely suspicious”
<><>and the situation was “quite obviously espionage
<><> Feds have substantial evidence of Wei’s interactions with the Chinese intel officer.
<><>phone conversations, electronic messages, and audio recordings
<><>all showing Wei exchanging sensitive info.
<><>encrypted apps and a new computer and phone provided by Wei’s handler to conceal,
<><> Wei and his handler also used disappearing messages
<><>and virtual dead drops on password-protected websites, which were later uncovered.
<><>Over 18 months, Wei sent photographs, videos, and over 60 restricted Navy manuals,
<><>many marked with “export-control warnings,” went to the Chinese intel officer.
Jinchao Wei, a 25-year-old Navy sailor ????? WTF?
A good first step would be to locate and shut down every one of the CCCP “police stations” in the US.
Deport, revoke citizenship, legal status for ALL “chinese police” in the US. They work for the CCCP.
I’d like to know why he did it for so little money? Like my Dad told me about stupid criminals...”if you’re going to rob a bank, do the one with a million dollars, because if you get caught, the penalty is the same as one with a thousand dollars’
It is always amazing to me how cheaply these guys sell out. $12K??
Rope, tree.
Life in prison for espionage? Boy, we sure have gotten soft since the days of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, haven’t we?
No problem, Newsome will let him out on parole.
The guy not only sold his country out, he sold it out cheap. If he gets 30 years, it will work out to $400 a year and I bet they won’t let him keep it because they’re mean that way. On the upside, the new prison at Fort Leavenworth (due for completion next year) will have air conditioning. So there’s that.
Three rounds to the back of skull.
Destroy everything he owns.
Dump his carcass into the ocean.
Time to send a message.
He should face a firing squad.
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