FBI tracks over 100 incidents of Chinese nationals posing as tourists to breach US military sites: report

The FBI and Department of Defense have reportedly tracked more than 100 incidents of Chinese nationals posing as tourists to attempt to breach U.S. military bases and other federal sites.

Those responsible, dubbed “gate crashers,” range from Chinese nationals detected crossing into a U.S. missile range in New Mexico, to scuba divers caught swimming in murky waters near a U.S. government rocket launch site in Florida, several U.S. officials recently told The Wall Street Journal. The growing trend represents a potential espionage threat, as authorities believe the Chinese government in some cases is compelling nationals into service in order to test out and report back about security practices at the installations.

In response to the report, an FBI spokesperson stated, “The greatest long-term counterintelligence threat to our nation’s information and intellectual property is from China.”

The Chinese government is engaged in a broad, diverse campaign of theft and malign influence without regard to laws or international norms that the FBI will not tolerate,” an FBI spokesperson told Fox News Digital. “In coordination with our defense and intelligence community partners, along with state and local law enforcement, the FBI is committed to protecting our national security and defense information from the Chinese government’s actions and ultimately, their efforts to undermine our democracy and those who defend it.”

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