A U.S. Navy plane passes by a Chinese flag as it flies over the Second Thomas Shoal atoll in the South China Sea. Naval Petty Officer Wenheng Zhao has pleaded guilty to passing sensitive information to a Chinese intelligence officer. (Aaron Favila / Associated Press)A U.S. sailor and resident of Monterey Park admitted he passed sensitive information and files to a Chinese intelligence officer in exchange for money, the Justice Department announced Tuesday. Naval Petty Officer Wenheng Zhao, 26, also known as Thomas, pleaded guilty in U.S. federal court to one count of conspiring with a foreign intelligence officer and one count of receiving a bribe. “Officer Zhao betrayed his country and the men and women of the U.S. Navy by accepting bribes from a foreign adversary,” U.S. Atty.

Source: Los Angeles Times October 11, 2023 10:22 UTC