The betrayal was happening inside the ranks. Three U.S. soldiers, trusted with America’s secrets, now stand accused of trying to sell them to China. A brand-new FBI director. A bold treason case. A stunned Pentagon. Allegations of cash, covert contacts, and stolen intelligence. Careers destroyed. Loyalties exposed.
Within days of taking over the FBI, Director Kash Patel was forced to confront the nightmare scenario every American dreads: betrayal from within the military itself. Federal indictments allege that Jian Zhao and Li Tian, both active-duty soldiers at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, and former soldier Ruoyu Duan were poised to hand over sensitive national defense information to Chinese agents. Prosecutors say it wasn’t a momentary lapse but a deliberate effort, sweetened by bribes and theft of government property, to turn U.S. secrets into personal gain and strategic advantage for a foreign adversary.
Attorney General Pam Bondi condemned the alleged plot as an attack on America’s defenses, vowing “swift, severe, and comprehensive justice.” Patel framed the arrests as a stark warning: the government is watching, and betrayal will be hunted down. Now the nation waits to learn how deep this breach went—and whether more hidden traitors will follow.