Five Chinese nationals who claimed they visited a U.S. military site to watch a meteor shower in August of 2023 are now facing federal charges. The U.S. government said that on Tuesday, Oct. 1, the men covered up their true intentions.
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The men are now charged with lying to investigators, “conspiracy and destruction, alteration or falsification of records in federal investigations.” U.S. authorities say the men, who were University of Michigan students at the time, secretly took photos of military vehicles at Camp Grayling in Michigan.
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A U.S. sergeant major reportedly found the group of men in a heavily restricted area near the base during one the United States largest National Guard exercises known as Northern Strike. The drills included U.S. military from across the country and members of the Taiwanese military.
The five men were reportedly wearing “headlamps” and had cameras with them at the time of their encounter with the U.S. soldier, and claimed they were “media” there to see “shooting stars,” the sergeant major said in an affidavit. He then ordered them to leave and followed them to a hotel where they checked in.
Later that year, the men were interviewed by U.S. Border Protection and Customs officers and all but one of them mentioned the encounter with the U.S. soldier.
Investigators found one of the men in possession of two images of military vehicles on an external hard drive. The pictures were reportedly taken two hours before running into the U.S. sergeant major.
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The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) also discovered messages on WeChat, a Chinese messaging app, talking about whether to erase the photos or not. FBI agents believe the group talked about their encounter and tried to align their stories while deleting incriminating pictures.
U.S. authorities say the men are not yet in custody but if they enter the United States, they will be arrested.
Tags: Beijing, China, Crime, FBI, Michigan, Military Defense, Military Drills, People’s Republic of China, U.S. military, United States, University of Michigan, Weapons
[LAUREN TAYLOR]
FIVE CHINESE NATIONALS WHO CLAIMED THEY VISITED A U-S MILITARY SITE TO WATCH A METEOR SHOWER LAST YEAR ARE NOW FACING FEDERAL CHARGES. THE GOVERNMENT SAYING THEY COVERED UP THEIR TRUE INTENTIONS.
THE MEN ARE CHARGED WITH LYING TO INVESTIGATORS, “CONSPIRACY AND DESTRUCTION, ALTERCATION OR FALSIFICATION OF RECORDS IN FEDERAL INVESTIGATIONS.”
U-S AUTHORITIES SAY THE MEN SECRETLY TOOK PHOTOS OF MILITARY VEHICLES AT CAMP GRAYLING.
A U-S SERGEANT MAJOR SAYS HE FOUND THE GROUP IN A HEAVILY RESTRICTED AREA NEAR THE BASE DURING ONE OF THE U-S’S LARGEST NATIONAL GUARD EXERCISES KNOWN AS NORTHERN STRIKE.
THE DRILLS INCLUDED U-S MILITARY AND MEMBERS OF THE TAIWANESE MILITARY.
THE MEN WERE REPORTEDLY WEARING “HEADLAMPS,” AND HAD CAMERAS.
THEY CLAIMED AT THE TIME THEY WERE “MEDIA” THERE TO SEE “SHOOTING STARS,” THE SERGEANT SAYS
HE ORDERED THEM TO LEAVE AND FOLLOWED THEM TO THEIR HOTEL.
LATER THAT YEAR, THE MEN WERE INTERVIEWED BY U-S BORDER OFFICIALS AND ALL BUT ONE OF THEM MENTIONED THE ENCOUNTER WITH THE U-S SOLDIER. INVESTIGATORS FOUND ONE OF THE MEN IN POSSESSION OF TWO IMAGES OF MILITARY VEHICLES ON AN EXTERNAL HARDDRIVE.
THE PICTURES WERE REPORTEDLY TAKEN TWO HOURS BEFORE RUNNING INTO THE U-S SERGEANT MAJOR.
THE F-B-I ALSO DISCOVERED MESSAGES ON WECHAT, A CHINESE MESSAGING APP, TALKING ABOUT WHETHER TO ERASE THE PHOTOS OR NOT.
AGENTS BELIEVE THE GROUP TALKED ABOUT THEIR ENCOUNTER AND TRIED TO ALIGN THEIR STORIES WHILE DELETING INCRIMINATING PICTURES.
U-S AUTHORITIES SAY THE MEN ARE NOT YET IN CUSTODY BUT IF THEY ENTER THE COUNTRY THEY WILL BE ARRESTED.
FOR MORE ON THIS STORY– DOWNLOAD THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP OR VISIT SAN DOT COM.
FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS– I’M LAUREN TAYLOR.
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41 other sources covering this story
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Last Updated
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