US arrests Chinese citizen for secretly photographing air base
Jan 11, 2026
Washington [US], January 11: The Missouri Attorney General's office announced this week that a Chinese national has been arrested on charges of photographing two U.S. air bases and military equipment, including B-2 bombers.
Authorities in the US identified the suspect on January 8th as Qilin Wu, 35, who was arrested in early December 2025. Wu has been charged in federal court in Missouri with one count of illegally photographing a critical military facility and equipment, Fox News reported on January 9th.
Investigators first identified Ngo on December 2, 2025, when he appeared near Whiteman Air Force Base, where the U.S. maintains a squadron of B-2 Spirit strategic bombers . Despite warnings against filming or photographing the military facility, Ngo returned to the base the following day. Patrol officers found him in the same vehicle as the previous day.
During the inspection, Ngo handed over his phone, which contained 18 photos and videos of B-2 bombers and the perimeter fence and military equipment around Whiteman Air Force Base.
He also admitted to photographing another U.S. Air Force base , although he did not disclose details.
If convicted, he could face up to one year in federal prison.
According to court records, he is a Chinese citizen who illegally entered the United States in June 2023 near Arizona. He was later released after agreeing to deportation proceedings in February 2027.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper
