Briton indicted in alleged plot to export US army generation to China

A British guy has been indicted in the United States for allegedly seeking to smuggle “sensitive American military technology” to China, together with missiles, air defence radar and drones.

John Miller, 63, and a Chinese guy, Cui Guanghai, are sought after via the FBI on fees in terms of conspiracy to dedicate interstate stalking and conspiracy, smuggling and violations of the Arms Control Act.

Mr Miller, an everlasting US resident, and Mr Cui, 43, have been each arrested in Serbia. They stay there and may now face extradition to the United States.

The Foreign Office has showed it’s offering consular help to a British nationwide following his arrest in April and it’s “in touch with the local authorities and his family”.

Court paperwork recommend the 2 males mentioned techniques of exporting a tool that may be used for encryption and decryption. They are purported to have paid a $10,000 (£7,430) deposit for the apparatus.

Mr Miller and Mr Cui also are accused of seeking to “harass” an anti-Chinese govt protester, which incorporated putting in a monitoring tool on their automotive and slashing their tires.

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche accused the pair of a “blatant assault” on US nationwide safety and its democratic values.

He added: “This Justice Department will not tolerate foreign repression on US soil, nor will we allow hostile nations to infiltrate or exploit our defence systems.”

If discovered in charge, Mr Miller may withstand 20 years in jail for violation of the Arms Export Control Act, and 10 years for smuggling.

Court paperwork element how the boys allegedly solicited the procurement of US defence articles, together with missiles, air defence radar, drones and cryptographic units for illegal export to China.

Mr Cui and Mr Miller are mentioned to have mentioned with two people – known as “Individual 5” and “Individual 6” in court docket paperwork – how you can export a cryptographic tool from the United States to China.

Items the boys allegedly mentioned the usage of to smuggle the generation come with small electronics, a blender and a motor starter.

The indictment additionally alleges the pair enlisted two people in the United States to hold out a plot that might have averted a sufferer from protesting towards Chinese President Xi Jinping’s attendance on the Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation (Apec) summit held in Los Angeles in November 2023.

Mr Miller and Mr Cui have been unaware that the ones two people – known in court docket paperwork as “Individual 1” and “Individual 2” – have been appearing on the route of the FBI.

“The indictment alleges that Chinese foreign actors targeted a victim in our nation because he criticised the Chinese government and its president,” mentioned US Attorney Bill Essayli for the Central District of California.

“My office will continue to use all legal methods available to hold accountable foreign nationals engaging in criminal activity on our soil.”

A equivalent scheme allegedly performed out within the spring of 2025, when the alleged sufferer introduced in a public video feed that he deliberate to unveil two new inventive statues that depicted Xi and his spouse.

Mr Cui and Mr Miller paid two different people – known in court docket paperwork as “Individual 3” and “Individual 4” – to check out and dissuade the alleged sufferer from sharing his on-line show of statues.

Those people have been paid $36,000 (£26,745), however the indictment notes that the ones two other people have been additionally affiliated with and appearing on the route of the FBI.

The two males stay in Serbia and the United States is co-ordinating with Serbian officers referring to their pending extraditions.

“An indictment is merely an allegation,” the United States Attorney’s Office of the Central District of California mentioned in a commentary. “All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.”