Five Chinese Nationals Indicted for Lying About Visit to U.S. Military Base

Five Chinese nationals, former students of the University of Michigan, have been indicted on federal charges of conspiracy, lying to federal investigators, and destroying evidence following a suspicious visit to a U.S. Army National Guard base in Michigan. The indictment, announced Wednesday, stems from their midnight incursion into a live-fire military exercise area in August 2023.

The defendants – Renxiang Guan, 23; Zhekhai Xu, 22; Haoming Zhu, 21; Jingzhe Tao, 22; and Yi Liang, 23 – claimed to be stargazing but were caught with photos of military equipment, sparking an investigation into their activities near a sensitive military training event known as “Northern Strike.”

The students’ late-night visit occurred during “Northern Strike,” a major training exercise at Camp Grayling, Michigan, which involved military vehicles, classified communications equipment, and personnel from Taiwan. The camp was heavily restricted, with abundant caution tape and “no trespassing” signs in place. Despite these warnings, the five students ventured into the restricted area, raising immediate suspicion.

When approached by a National Guard officer, the students initially claimed to be members of the media but quickly fled the scene. This interaction, along with their presence near classified military operations, set off a chain of events that would later lead to their indictment.

Local law enforcement located the group at a nearby motel, where it appeared they had been observing the military drills. The students’ suspicious behavior and false statements to authorities, compounded by their attempts to cover up their actions, led to an ongoing investigation.

The investigation took a significant turn when one of the students, Renxiang Guan, was detained at Detroit Metropolitan Airport a few months after the Camp Grayling incident while attempting to leave the U.S. for Shanghai. During questioning, Guan abandoned the initial “media” cover story and instead claimed the group had been stargazing. However, photos of military vehicles from the day of the incident were found on his electronic devices, casting doubt on his revised explanation.

The FBI continued its investigation, and three months later, the other four students – Xu, Zhu, Tao, and Liang – were intercepted upon their arrival at Chicago O’Hare International Airport after a trip to Iceland. When questioned, the four gave inconsistent and contradictory statements, further raising suspicion. Despite claiming they were stargazing on a rainy, overcast night, their stories did not align. They also made conflicting remarks about their knowledge of the military base and the timing of their motel reservation.

One of the more damning pieces of evidence was found in the students’ WeChat messages. In these conversations, they admitted to deleting incriminating photos from their phones and cameras. They also discussed how to coordinate their stories to ensure consistency if questioned. The messages revealed a deliberate attempt to conceal their activities and avoid detection by law enforcement.

The FBI’s investigation into the case found parallels with previous instances of Chinese nationals performing suspicious surveillance activities at sensitive American military installations. Notably, in 2020, two other Chinese students from the University of Michigan were caught taking unauthorized photos at Florida’s Naval Air Station Key West, a critical base for U.S. naval operations. These students were eventually sentenced to prison time.

Given these past incidents, the FBI took the Camp Grayling breach seriously. The evidence, including the deleted photos, suspicious WeChat conversations, and attempts to avoid scrutiny, suggested a potential pattern of surveillance by Chinese nationals near U.S. military sites.

While the indictment against the five students on Wednesday did not explicitly charge them with espionage, it highlighted their efforts to cover up their actions and mislead authorities. The charges focus on the false statements they made to federal investigators and the destruction of evidence that could have further implicated them.

Despite the serious charges, none of the five students are currently in custody. They were part of a two-year joint educational program between the University of Michigan and Shanghai Jiao Tong University, which concluded in May 2024. After completing their studies, they returned to China.

Although they are no longer in the U.S., the indictment remains active. According to Gina Balaya, spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Detroit, “Should they come into contact with U.S. authorities, they will be arrested and face these charges.” The charges could result in significant legal consequences if the students attempt to re-enter the U.S. or are apprehended by American law enforcement.

The charges against these individuals highlight the ongoing concerns about foreign nationals, particularly from China, engaging in activities that may threaten U.S. national security. While the defendants have not been charged with espionage, the circumstances surrounding their midnight visit to a military base during a sensitive training exercise raise questions about their true motives.

As the case unfolds, it will likely draw more attention to the broader issue of foreign nationals accessing sensitive U.S. military sites and the potential security risks that accompany such incidents.