Five Chinese nationals who were University of Michigan students were charged by U.S. authorities after lying and trying to cover their tracks following an encounter near a Michigan military site in August 2023. They were not charged for their actions at Camp Grayling but for misleading investigators and conspiring to clear their phones of photos. The FBI mentioned that there have been incidents involving Chinese college students taking photos of vital defense sites in the U.S., although it did not reveal the location of the five men. The men are not currently in custody, but if they come into contact with U.S. authorities, they will be arrested and face charges.
The five men were confronted near a lake at Camp Grayling after midnight by a sergeant major with the Utah National Guard in summer 2023. Despite claiming to be media, they collected their belongings and left the area when asked. Prior to the incident, they had booked a room at a nearby motel and later claimed their trip to northern Michigan was to see shooting stars. However, images from an external hard drive showed military vehicles were photographed on the same night as the encounter with the National Guard officer. The other four men were interviewed after arriving in Chicago and also claimed they were in the area to see a meteor shower, referring to the soldier as a camper or nice guy.
Communication between the five men on WeChat in December revealed discussions about clearing photos from their cameras and phones. All five men graduated from the University of Michigan in the spring and were a part of a joint program with Shanghai Jiao Tong University in China. In a separate incident in 2020, two Chinese nationals pursuing master’s degrees at the University of Michigan were sentenced to prison for illegally photographing sites at a naval air station in Key West, Florida. The current charges against the five men highlight ongoing concerns about Chinese students possibly engaging in activity that could pose a security risk to the United States.
The criminal complaint did not provide details on the current whereabouts of the five men but stated that they would be arrested if they encountered U.S. authorities. The charges against the men are based on their actions following the incident at Camp Grayling, where they misled investigators and attempted to delete photos from their devices. The FBI highlighted previous incidents involving Chinese college students taking photos of U.S. defense sites, raising security concerns. The men claimed their trip to northern Michigan was for stargazing purposes, but evidence on an external hard drive contradicted their explanation.
Despite claiming to be media during the encounter at Camp Grayling, the five men left the area when confronted by the sergeant major. Subsequent investigations revealed that they had booked a nearby motel prior to the incident and communicated about deleting photos after the encounter. The men referred to the National Guard officer as a camper or nice guy and maintained that their trip was related to observing celestial events. However, evidence discovered on their devices contradicted their explanation, leading to the charges brought against them. The case underscores the importance of addressing security risks posed by foreign individuals, particularly students, who may engage in activities that compromise national security.
