Vehicle carrying Chinese nationals passes security checkpoint in Alaska – Occupants claimed to be tourists but a search of their car revealed a drone
Suspects Chinese spiesdisguised as tourists, have made several attempts to infiltrate US military bases in Alaska, according to US officials.
The attempted breaches may be investigations into US military activities in the state, soldiers with knowledge of the matter told USA Today.
In a recent case, a vehicle carrying Chinese nationals went through a security checkpoint at Fort Wainwright in Fairbanks.
The vehicle was stopped and the occupants claimed to be tourists but a search of their car revealed a drone.
Most of the details of the suspected Chinese spying incidents in Alaska remain classified, and Kathleen Hicks, the Pentagon’s No. 2 official, declined to comment on the matter, except that the military is taking some steps to ensure the bases are safe.
During a recent visit to Alaska, Hicks told reporters, “We take the safety of our people at our facilities very seriously.”
“We always live with the possibility of an attack on our facilities, so we work very hard to ensure, working with state and local authorities and others, that these bases and facilities are protected from threats.
“We are taking many steps to do this. And we’re going to make sure we can continue to protect our facility so our people can carry out their missions.”
Two officials told USA Today that security at some military bases has indeed been beefed up in response to the threat.
Iris Ferguson, deputy assistant secretary of defense for the Arctic and Global Resilience, told a news conference in September that Chinese leaders are “trying to get into the Arctic.”
“Well, we are very careful about their activity and we want to make sure that our interests are protected in the region,” he added.
Senator Dan Sullivan called the reported spying incidents in Alaska a “wake-up call.”
“Whether it’s a Chinese spy balloon, or Russian Bear Bombers, or this new report of suspected Chinese spies in Alaska, this is another wake-up call that we are in a new era of authoritarian aggression led by dictators in China and the Russia,” Sullivan said in a statement.
Source :Skai
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