( Cincinnati ) - FBI agents released information Wednesday about an alleged Chinese spy who's now in US custody facing federal charges of conspiracy and espionage.
Yanjun Xu is allegedly an agent of the Chinese Ministry of State Security. He's accused of trying to steal trade secrets from US aviation companies including Cincinnati-based GE Aviation. Investigators say, since 2013, he'd invite aviation employees to speak at Chinese universities, but it was a ruse to try to access sensitive material. US Atttorney Benjamin Glassman says it's considered a threat to national security, though he says no military information was targeted.
Xu was arrested in Belgium on April 1, and on Tuesday he was extradited to the US. He's expected to be tried in federal court in Cincinnati. In the meantime, he's being held in the Butler County Jail.