A Chinese man has been sentenced to six months in jail after he photographed Whiteman Air Force Base.
Whiteman Air Force Base, located in Missouri, is a vital military installation under the Air Force Global Strike Command. It is the exclusive operational home for the nation’s entire fleet of B-2 Spirit nuclear-capable stealth bombers and supports a community of approximately 10,000 to 12,600 people.
Qilin Wu drove a vehicle to the base on Dec. 2, 2025, telling members of the 509th Security Forces Squadron that he had come to observe the B-2, an American heavy strategic stealth bomber, the U.S. Air Force said in a release. Wu pleaded guilty in April in the Western District of Missouri to one count of taking photographs of a vital military installation and military equipment without authorization.
Wu was driving a vehicle with Massachusetts license plates, according to the Air Force.
“What made this different was the pattern of behavior,” a senior Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI) official involved in the investigation said. Wu’s return after the warning, along with his focus on the base’s perimeter and infrastructure, heightened concerns.
He was warned about coming to the base but returned. He later admitted to photographing aircraft and installations at other bases, including military bases in Florida and Virginia.
He originally entered the country illegally on June 22, 2023, near Nogales, Az., according to the DOJ. Wu was arrested by immigration authorities for illegally being present in the United States.
However, authorities said that due to a lack of detention space, Wu was released on his own recognizance to await immigration removal proceedings originally scheduled for Feb. 9, 2027. On Dec. 3, 2025, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) re-arrested Wu.
Laws Around Photographing Bases
Section 795 of Title 18 and Executive Order 10104, prohibits unauthorized photographs, sketches, maps and other visual representations of designated military installations, aircraft, weapons and equipment.
“When someone gathers information around a sensitive military installation, AFOSI has the tools to hold them accountable,” Col. David Bethel, commander of the Air Force Office of Special Investigations Region 8, said in remarks.
He referenced a shift from clear-cut threats in overseas environments, to more ambiguous activity around military installations inside the United States.
Wu’s case revolved not just around his camera, authorities explained, but that he returned after being warned and photographed more than the aircraft.
The arrest comes as U.S. and Chinese relations have been beset with tensions.
While he agreed to resume trade with his Chinese counterpart, President Xi Jinping. during a May summit in Beijing, President Donald Trump claimed, without evidence, in a July White House address that China illicitly acquired U.S. voter files during the 2020 election.
He cited declassified intelligence files, adding that China bought data in 18 states.
China denied the claims while U.S. intelligence previously concluded that China had not interfered in the election.
Other Spying Incidents
There have been other spying incidents alleged between the U.S. and China.
In June, China arrested a U.S. scholar, Min Zin, on suspicion of spying.
Zin, who is a PhD candidate at the University of California, Berkeley, and writes about Myanmar and Chinese foreign policy, was suspected of “engaging in espionage activities that endanger China’s national security,” Lin Jian, spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said at the time.
In July 2025, two Chinese nationals were charged with spying, including taking photographs of a naval base, coordinating a cash dead-drop, and participating in efforts to recruit members of the military who they thought might be open to working for Chinese intelligence.
In July, a court remanded Wu to the U.S. Marshals Service. He was processed on a I.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainer. He will be deported to China.
“AFOSI will continue to identify, assess, and investigate suspected unauthorized photography around protected installations and equipment, officials said, while evaluating each incident based on its specific facts and circumstances,” the Air Force said.
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