Former U.S. Army sergeant, Joseph Daniel Schmidt, was arrested on charges of attempting to pass sensitive American defense information to China.
The suspect: Schmidt, who has a background in military intelligence and a top-secret security clearance, was taken into custody at San Francisco airport. He faces charges of attempting to deliver and retention of national defense information.
* Schmidt served in the U.S. Army from 2015 to 2020, and worked as a team leader in spying operations.
* Schmidt’s arrest occurred as he was trying to book a flight from San Francisco.
The allegations: The investigation indicates that Schmidt allegedly tried to pass classified information to China, soon after leaving the military.
* According to court documents, Schmidt had contacted the Chinese Consulate via email, offered to share his knowledge, and requested for a face-to-face meeting.
* He created document files containing classified information, including details about U.S. Army intelligence training, and attempted to share with Chinese officials.
Remainings of investigation: At this point, it is unclear whether Schmidt entered China’s security ministry building or whether Chinese officials interacted with him.
* Schmidt allegedly left the U.S. due to a “disagreement with American policy” and had been living primarily in Hong Kong since 2020.
* Despite his ongoing attempts, the extent of the sensitive information he successfully shared is yet unknown.
Recent updates: Schmidt was finally apprehended this week when he attempted to return to the U.S. via a flight to San Francisco.
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