Sailor Sentenced to 16 Years for Espionage: Selling Secrets to China

Source link : https://sandiego365.info/2026/01/16/sailor-sentenced-to-16-years-for-espionage-selling-secrets-to-china/

A U.S. Navy sailor has been sentenced to 16 years in federal prison for selling military secrets to the People’s Republic of China, in a case that underscores growing concerns over insider threats and foreign espionage targeting the U.S. armed forces. The sailor, who served aboard a warship based in California, admitted to transmitting sensitive and classified information to a Chinese intelligence officer in exchange for cash, according to court documents and statements from federal prosecutors. The conviction, first reported by USNI News, highlights vulnerabilities within the Navy’s ranks at a time of heightened strategic competition between Washington and Beijing, raising fresh questions about security vetting, information safeguards, and the scope of China’s efforts to penetrate U.S. military institutions.

The conviction of a California-based sailor for selling classified information to Beijing is being viewed by U.S. officials as more than an isolated act of espionage; it is a warning shot about how aggressively Chinese intelligence services are probing the American military from within. Investigators say handlers posing as academic researchers and business executives exploited vulnerabilities common among younger service members, including financial stress and social isolation, while leveraging encrypted apps and seemingly benign information requests to mask hostile…

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Author : Jackson Lee

Publish date : 2026-01-16 14:27:00

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