California espionage trial begins for sailor accused of spying for his native China

A Chinese-born U.S. Navy sailor betrayed the U.S. on behalf of his birth nation by selling military secrets to a Chinese spy while assigned to a San Diego-based warship, a federal prosecutor told a jury Tuesday during opening statements of the sailor’s espionage trial in San Diego federal court.

Jinchao “Patrick” Wei, 25, is accused of seven counts of conspiracy, espionage and charges related to unlawfully sending defense information to a foreign government. Federal prosecutors also contend that Wei, who became a naturalized U.S. citizen while serving in the Navy, committed naturalization fraud by not disclosing the alleged espionage during a citizenship interview.

Wei’s attorney told the jury that he and his mother came to the U.S. in 2016 in part because of their opposition to the Chin