Federal prosecutors on Wednesday announced criminal charges against a Chinese national who entered the United States illegally and is accused of photographing sensitive military infrastructure near one of the nation’s most critical Air Force installations.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Missouri, a criminal complaint has been filed against Qilin Wu, an illegal immigrant from China, for unlawfully photographing Whiteman Air Force Base and its military equipment without authorization. Whiteman Air Force Base is home to the U.S. Air Force’s B-2 Spirit stealth bomber, a key component of America’s strategic deterrence.
The charges stem from a December 2025 investigation launched after base officials alerted the Air Force Office of Special Investigations to suspicious activity along the base’s perimeter. On Dec. 2, security personnel observed a minivan parked near the fence line of the installation, in close proximity to facilities housing the B-2 aircraft. Air Force patrols approached the vehicle and encountered Wu, who allegedly told officers he was there to observe the B-2 bomber. Officers informed him that photography and video recording of the base were strictly prohibited.
Despite that warning, authorities say the same vehicle was spotted again the following day along the perimeter fence. AFOSI agents responded and made contact with Wu, who admitted to recording videos of the B-2 aircraft and taking multiple photographs of the base’s fencing, a gate, and military equipment. Wu also admitted to photographing another U.S. Air Force base and its aircraft, according to the criminal complaint.
Federal authorities say Wu illegally entered the United States near Nogales, Arizona, on June 22, 2023, during the Biden administration. He was arrested at the time by immigration officials for unlawful presence, but was later released due to limited detention capacity. Wu was scheduled to appear for immigration removal proceedings in February 2027, nearly four years after his illegal entry.
Instead, Wu was re-arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Dec. 3, 2025, following the investigation at Whiteman Air Force Base, according to the Department of Justice.
The case comes amid heightened scrutiny surrounding Whiteman Air Force Base, which carried out a B-2 Spirit strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities in June 2025, further underscoring the base’s strategic importance.
Concerns over security vulnerabilities at Whiteman intensified after a November 2025 investigation revealed that the base shares a perimeter fence with the Knob Noster Trailer Park, a foreign-owned RV park located less than a mile from the runway. The investigation found the park is owned through a web of shell companies controlled by a Canadian couple linked to organizations associated with disgraced Chinese tycoon Miles Guo.
Guo, who has described himself as a former Chinese Communist Party intelligence “affiliate,” was convicted in 2024 of orchestrating a fraud scheme exceeding $1 billion and is currently awaiting sentencing. National security experts told the Daily Caller News Foundation that foreign ownership of land immediately adjacent to a major U.S. military installation presents serious counterintelligence risks.
The charges against Wu add to growing concerns over border enforcement, national security, and the potential consequences of releasing illegal immigrants who later become involved in sensitive or criminal activity near critical U.S. military infrastructure.
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