In separate cases, two Navy sailors were accused of passing national security information to Chinese intelligence officers.
The Department of Justice arrested the sailors on Thursday. No one knows if the two cases are connected at all. One sailor was charged with espionage relating to a conspiracy to share intelligence with a Chinese official.
The sailor has been accused of sharing photos and videos of the ship he was stationed on. He also described the ship’s defensive weapons to the Chinese intelligence officer and disclosed the location of other Navy ships in exchange for thousands of dollars.
The second sailor is charged with conspiracy and receipt of a bribe from a Chinese official. He is accused of secretly recording U.S. military information, photographs and videos then transmitting them to a Chinese intelligence officer posing as a maritime economic researcher in exchange for bribes.
Some of the materials shared with the Chinese intelligence officer include electrical diagrams and blueprints for a radar system stationed on a U.S. military base in Japan.
Both culprits are set to face prison time if they are convicted. Is that enough though? Should people who commit treason only go to prison?
To get Tony Katz’s thoughts on the two sailors who committed treason, click the link below.
