The video aims to recruit Chinese military officers as spies.
The CIA posted a video on its YouTube channel targeting members of the Chinese military with the aim of #recruiting them as spies.
FMM-F24 vertical type
A former “elite” U.S. Air Force fighter pilot has been arrested and charged with secretly training Chinese military pilots for combat missions overseas, federal prosecutors announced.
Former U.S. Air Force officer and pilot Gerald Eddy Brown Jr., also known by the call sign “The Runner,” was arrested in Jefferson, Indiana, on February 26 in connection with charges that he trained members of foreign military forces overseas, the U.S. Department of Justice announced in a news release.
Brown, 65, was charged with conspiracy to provide defense services to Chinese military pilots without authorization, violating the Arms Export Control Act (AECA), officials said. The overseas training took place over two years, starting around August 2023, and officials said Brown “intentionally conspired with foreign nationals and Americans to provide fighter jet training to pilots of the Chinese Air Force (also known as the People’s Liberation Army Air Force, or PLAAF).”
“The U.S. Air Force trained Major Brown to be an elite fighter pilot and entrusted him with the defense of our nation. He is now tasked with training Chinese military pilots,” John A. Eisenberg, Assistant Attorney General for National Security Affairs, said in a statement. “It is illegal for U.S. persons, military or civilian, to provide training to foreign military forces unless authorized by the Department of State. The National Security Agency will use every means at its disposal to protect our military advantage and hold accountable those who violate AECA.”
Brown was scheduled to make his first court appearance on February 26th in the Southern District of Indiana.
James Barnacle, deputy director of the FBI in New York, said Brown’s arrest underscored “the FBI’s unwavering commitment to defending our country against all enemies, foreign and domestic.”
“Mr. Brown allegedly sold out his country to use U.S. fighter jet technology expertise to train Chinese pilots,” Barnacle said in a statement. “Mr. Brown’s alleged betrayal exposes sensitive military tactics and threatens the security of our nation, our military, and our allies.”
Who is Gerald Eddie Brown Jr.?
Brown, a U.S. citizen, served in the U.S. Air Force for more than 20 years and retired from active duty in 1996 with the rank of major, officials said.
During his military career, Brown “commanded a classified unit responsible for nuclear weapons delivery systems, commanded combat missions, and served as a fighter pilot instructor and simulator instructor for a variety of fighter and attack aircraft,” officials said.
These aircraft included:
- F-4 “Phantom II”
- F-15 “Eagle”
- F-16 “Fighting Falcon”
- A-10 “Thunderbolt II” (Warthog)
Later in his career, Brown served as a commercial cargo pilot and recently served as a contract simulator instructor for two U.S. defense contractors training U.S. military pilots to fly the A-10 and F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter aircraft.
“Military and Export Control Sensitive Data”
Around August 2023, Brown worked with co-conspirators to negotiate with Chinese nationals to hack into a major U.S. defense contractor’s computer network and steal Chinese “sensitive military and export control data,” according to the criminal complaint.
Steven Subin, a Chinese national, pleaded guilty in the 2016 incident and was sentenced to nearly four years in prison, the complaint continues.
Then, in December 2023, Brown traveled to China to begin training military pilots for the country, charging documents continue. Officials said Brown spent several hours on his first day in the country answering questions about the U.S. Air Force. On his second day in office, Brown prepared and “presented a brief about himself to the People’s Air Force.”
Brown remained in China until returning to the United States earlier this month, officials said.
It was not immediately known whether Mr. Brown had retained a lawyer in the case.
Natalie Neisa Alland is a senior reporter at USA TODAY. Contact her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her at X @nataliealund.
