Yesterday (April 23), a former US military intelligence analyst was sentenced to 7 years in prison for selling sensitive military information to a Chinese spy.
The defendant, named Korbein Schultz, a 25-year-old from Texas, admitted in August 2024 to illegally transmitting national defense data, accepting bribes, and providing US military intelligence to an individual associated with the Chinese Communist Party.
According to the US Department of Justice, from 2022 to 2024, before his arrest, Schultz provided dozens of classified military documents to a person residing in China, referred to as “Conspirator A,” in exchange for approximately $42,000.
The intelligence he handed over included:
– Operational orders for US military deployments to Eastern Europe in support of NATO missions;
– Tactical analysis derived from the Russia-Ukraine conflict which could potentially be applied to Taiwan Strait defense;
– Technical manuals for HH-60 helicopters, F-22A fighter jets, and intercontinental ballistic missile systems;
– Information on Chinese rocket forces;
– Deployment details of US military joint exercises in South Korea and the Philippines;
– Data on US satellites, air defense systems such as High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD);
– US anti-drone warfare tactics, and more.
Some of this data fell under the classification of “top secret/sensitive compartmented information,” with Schultz downloading and transmitting at least 92 files over the government’s internal network.
“Conspirator A” initially contacted him through a freelance platform, posing as a client from a geopolitical consulting firm. It was later revealed that this person specifically requested more military-related highly classified documents, particularly focusing on the Taiwan Strait and Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Further investigation uncovered Schultz’s attempts to recruit another military intelligence personnel stationed in the Indo-Pacific Command, claiming to want to “progress slowly.”
US Attorney General Pamela Bondi stated, “He betrayed his oath and put his comrades’ safety at risk.”
FBI Director Kash Patel warned, “China continues to attempt infiltrating the US military, this is a serious warning.”
Army Counterintelligence Commander Rhett R. Cox stressed that protecting classified information is a national security baseline.
The case was led by the FBI Nashville office with a joint investigation by Army Counterintelligence and the Department of Defense.
The Department of Justice has indicated they will enhance scrutiny and security mechanisms for intelligence personnel to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future.
What do you think? Can actions by the Chinese Communist Party to infiltrate the US military be completely stopped?
— News Blitz Production Team