Published Jun 2, 2026, 5:00 AM EDT
Federal prosecutors accuse them of illegally helping train China's military, exposing a growing security concern.
When federal agents arrested retired Air Force Major Gerald Eddie Brown Jr. in Indiana in February 2026, prosecutors described him as exactly the kind of military aviator foreign governments would want to recruit: a former fighter pilot instructor and veteran of some of America's most advanced military aviation programs. Brown agreed to use that expertise to train pilots in China’s military without the authorization required by U.S. law, according to federal prosecutors. His arrest came as another former American military pilot, Daniel Edmund Duggan, continued fighting extradition from Australia on similar allegations. Together, the cases have become some of the most prominent examples of what U.S. officials describe as a broader effort by China to recruit former Western military personnel and use their experience to strengthen the People’s Liberation Army. It reflects a broader pattern of China infiltrating different aspects of the U.S. military and government. Eileen Wang, the former mayor of the Arcadia City Council in California, pleaded guilty to being a Chinese foreign agent who pushed propaganda directly from her pulpit as the head of the municipality. She faces up to 10 years in prison. In April, the Department of Justice announced that Tianrui Liang, 21, of China, was charged with conduct related to allegedly illegally documenting Air Force planes located at Offutt Air Force Base in Bellevue, Neb.
