3 US Army soldiers arrested for theft of government property, bribery scheme: FBI

By Diyar Guldogan

WASHINGTON (AA) - Two active-duty and one former US soldier were arrested for theft of government property and a bribery scheme, the FBI's director said on Thursday.

"These individuals have been charged with stealing America’s defense intelligence capabilities and empowering adversaries like China in betrayal of our country," Kash Patel said on X.

Jian Zhao and Li Tian, active-duty soldiers stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington, and Ruoyu Duan, a former soldier, were arrested Thursday on indictments out of Oregon and Washington.

The Justice Department said Tian and Duan were charged in the District of Oregon "for conspiring to commit bribery and theft of government property."

Zhao was charged in the Western District of Washington "for conspiring to obtain and transmit national defense information to an individual not authorized to receive it, and also for bribery and theft of government property," it added.

"They will face swift, severe, and comprehensive justice," said Attorney General Pam Bondi.