Five men allegedly conspired to cover up their “star-gazing” trip, the FBI has said
Five Chinese nationals have been charged with lying to the FBI and destroying evidence of possible wrongdoing, after they were caught near the largest National Guard training base in the US.
According to a criminal complaint filed in federal court on Tuesday, the five were discovered near Camp Grayling in northern Michigan in August 2023, and claimed to be journalists before leaving the area.
“The defendants are not in custody. Should they come into contact with US authorities, they will be arrested and face these charges,” Gina Balaya, a spokesperson for the US Attorney’s Office in Detroit, said Wednesday.
AP did not identify the men by name. They were said to be part of a joint program between the University of Michigan and the Shanghai Jiao Tong University in China, having graduated earlier this year.
According to the FBI affidavit, a sergeant major with…