Chinese national pleads guilty to illegally filming and photographing Whiteman AFB

(This article comes courtesy of MissouriNet, via Marshall Griffin.)

A Chinese national has pleaded guilty in a Kansas City federal court to illegally photographing a vital military installation and military equipment.

Advertisement

Court documents say that on December 2, 2025, Qilin Wu, 35, was found near the perimeter of Whiteman Air Force Base in western Missouri’s Knob Noster. Citizens had reported a suspicious minivan nearby. Wu told Air Force patrolmen he was observing B-2 Spirit aircraft and was advised he was not permitted to take photographs or video of the base.

The next day, December 3, Wu was again found at the base perimeter, where he admitted to taking videos and photographs of the installation, fencing, a gate, and military equipment. He was taken into custody by ICE later that day.

Investigators reviewed 18 images and videos on Wu’s phone and said he also admitted photographing another U.S. Air Force base and its aircraft.

Prosecutors also say Wu entered the U.S. illegally near Nogales, Arizona in June 2023. He was arrested and released on his own recognizance due to a lack of detention space. He is scheduled to undergo immigration removal proceedings on February 9, 2027.

Wu could go to federal prison without parole for as much as one year.

Copyright © 2026 · Missourinet

Advertisement