2 foreign nationals indicted in plot to smuggle US military tech to China, silence American dissident

​​​​​​​By Darren Lyn

HOUSTON, United States (AA) - Two foreign nationals were indicted Friday by federal grand juries in the states of California and Wisconsin in a plot to smuggle US military technology to China and silence an American dissident.

Cui Guanghai, 43, from China, and John Miller, 63, of the UK and a permanent US resident, were charged with interstate stalking, conspiracy, smuggling and violating the Arms Export Control Act.

"The defendants targeted a US resident for exercising his constitutional right to free speech and conspired to traffic sensitive American military technology to the Chinese regime," Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement.

"This is a blatant assault on both our national security and our democratic values," said Blanche. "This Justice Department will not tolerate foreign repression on US soil, nor will we allow hostile nations to infiltrate or exploit our defense systems. We will act decisively to expose and dismantle these threats wherever they emerge.”

Beginning in October 2023, Cui and Miller enlisted two individuals living in the US to carry out a plot to prevent a dissident of Beijing from protesting Chinese President Xi Jinping's appearance at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in November 2023, according to court documents in the California case.

The dissident had previously made public statements in opposition to the policies and actions of the PRC (People's Republic of China) government and Xi.

"The defendants allegedly plotted to harass and interfere with an individual who criticized the actions of the People’s Republic of China while exercising their constitutionally protected free speech rights within the United States of America," said FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino in a statement. "The same individuals also are charged with trying to obtain and export sensitive US military technology to China."

Cui and Miller did not know that the two individuals they hired were working with the FBI, who recorded their every move as they directed and coordinated an interstate scheme to surveil the dissident, installed a tracking device on the victim’s car, slashed the tires on his car, and bought and destroyed a pair of artistic statues created by the victim depicting Xi and the president's wife.

According to court documents from the Wisconsin case, beginning in November 2023, Miller and Cui solicited the procurement of US defense articles, including missiles, air defense radar, drones and cryptographic devices with associated crypto ignition keys for unlawful export from the US to China from two individuals who were also working with the FBI. Miller and Cui paid about $10,000 as a deposit for the equipment.

If convicted, Cui and Miller each face a maximum of 40 years in prison: five years for conspiracy; five years for interstate stalking; 20 years for violation of the Arms Export Control Act; and 10 years for smuggling.

The US is coordinating with Serbian authorities regarding the pending extraditions of Cui and Miller from Serbia.