Five Chinese nationals have been charged with covering up their visit to a Michigan military site.
At the time, the Chinese nationals were in the United States as part of a partnership between the University of Michigan and Shanghai Jiao Tong University.
The five individuals were confronted in the dark in August 2023 after being spotted taking pictures of the site. According to an affidavit from FBI agent Caroline Colpoys, the Chinese nationals claimed they were “taking pictures of the stars.”
Investigators later discovered pictures of equipment and military vehicles. Upon accessing messages on WeChat, investigators learned that the subjects appeared to have “coordinated their statements regarding the incident and discussed the deletion of photos from their electronic devices to prevent them from being seen by law enforcement.”
The individuals have been accused of making false statements, conspiracy, and destruction, alteration, or falsification of records in federal investigations over the matter.
According to the New York Post, the whereabouts of the men are unknown.
“The defendants are not in custody. Should they come into contact with U.S. authorities, they will be arrested and face these charges,” Gina Balaya, the spokesperson for the US Attorney’s Office in Detroit, said.
