US authorities have accused five Chinese citizens of lying and attempting to cover up their visit to a military base in Michigan.
According to ABC News, in August 2023, these five Chinese men encountered a National Guard sergeant from Utah in the dark near Camp Grayling, a military base in Michigan, after midnight. One of the five men said, “We are from the media,” and they then packed up their belongings and agreed to leave the area. At that time, thousands of people were participating in summer military exercises at the base.
At the time, these five individuals were students at the University of Michigan and were not prosecuted for the incident. However, they later misled investigators about the purpose of their visit and colluded to delete photos from their phones. As a result, federal charges have been filed against these five individuals.
In court documents filed by the FBI on Tuesday, it was stated that the five Chinese students took photos of a significant US defense facility, and later lied to investigators claiming they had gone to northern Michigan to watch a meteor shower.
All of them graduated from the University of Michigan this spring. The whereabouts of these five individuals are not disclosed in the files.
In 2020, two Chinese individuals pursuing master’s degrees at the University of Michigan were sentenced to prison for illegally photographing the Key West Naval Air Station in Florida.
This incident has once again raised concerns about national security and the unauthorized presence of individuals near sensitive military installations. The actions of these individuals have highlighted the importance of maintaining strict protocols and vigilance in safeguarding critical defense assets.