Two foreign nationals, including one with lawful permanent residency in the United States, have been indicted by a Wisconsin grand jury for attempting to smuggle U.S. military technology to China, including encrypted communications gear.
Newsweek has reached out to the Department of Justice (DOJ) for comment via email on Saturday.
Why It Matters
The indictments raise serious allegations of foreign espionage, efforts to suppress free speech, and threats to national security.
The U.S. and China have a tense diplomatic relationship, amplified by ongoing disputes over trade, technology, and military activity near Taiwan. Beijing’s defense minister was notably absent from the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore over the weekend.
The U.S. has the most powerful military in the world, backed by the largest defense budget and advanced technology. China, however, has the largest military by personnel, with an estimated 2.2 million active-duty members.
What to Know
Court documents reviewed by Newsweek allege that since 2023, John Miller, 63, and Cui Guanghai, 43, “knowingly conspired to stalk, harass, and intimidate a resident of the Central District of California who had publicly criticized PRC President Xi Jinping and the PRC government.”
Two separate grand juries, one in Wisconsin and one in California, indicted Miller and Guanghai over the matter. In Wisconsin, the grand jury alleges that the men conspired to “illicitly obtain and to export various defense articles from the United States to the People’s Republic of China without the requisite licenses from the Department of State,” as well as “smuggle defense articles” from the U.S. to China.
The indictment states they solicited the procurement of “ReAlly Simply Key Loader (RASKL) KIK-30 Type 1 cryptographic device with Crypto Ignition Keys, missiles, air defense radar, and Black Hornet drones.” It also notes that Miller sent a list of items to secure—including surface-to-air and anti-aircraft missiles and Predator drones—to an individual affiliated with the FBI.
The DOJ press release states the Miller and Guanghai discussed the possibility of concealing and exporting the items in a blender and other small electronics.
The California indictment focused more on the two men’s attempts to prevent an individual from protesting Xi at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in November 2023. The indictment alleges they devised an interstate scheme to surveil and track the individual, as well as paying around $36,500 to encourage two other people, both working with the FBI, to convince the dissenter to not publicly reveal “two new artistic statues of President Xi and his wife.”
AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana
What People Are Saying
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said in the DOJ’s press release: “This is a blatant assault on both our national security and our democratic values. This Justice Department will not tolerate foreign repression on U.S. soil, nor will we allow hostile nations to infiltrate or exploit our defense systems. We will act decisively to expose and dismantle these threats wherever they emerge.”
FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino said in the DOJ press release: “The defendants allegedly plotted to harass and interfere with an individual who criticized the actions of the People’s Republic of China while exercising their constitutionally protected free speech rights within the United States of America. The same individuals also are charged with trying to obtain and export sensitive U.S. military technology to China. I want to commend the good work of the FBI and our partners in the U.S and overseas in putting a stop to these illegal activities.”
What Happens Next?
If convicted, the two men face up to five years in prison for conspiracy, five years for interstate stalking, 20 years for violating the Arms Export Control Act, and 10 years for smuggling.
The DOJ’s press release states that the U.S. is coordinating with Serbian officials to extradite Miller and Guanghai from Serbia.