Chinese national charged with photographing U.S. Air Force Base

U.S. Air Force B-2 Spirit, assigned to the 509th Bomb Wing, Whiteman Air Force Base, Jan. 8, 2018. (Staff Sgt. Joshua Smoot / U.S. Air Force via AP)

WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, Mo. (KMBC) -- A Chinese national has been charged in federal court after authorities say he took photos and video of Whiteman Air Force Base and military aircraft without authorization.

Federal prosecutors announced last week that 35-year-old Qilin Wu is accused of illegally photographing a vital military installation and military equipment, a misdemeanor under U.S. law.

According to a criminal complaint, Air Force patrol officers and agents with the Air Force Office of Special Investigations were called Dec. 2, 2025, after a suspicious minivan was spotted near the perimeter of Whiteman Air Force Base.

Officers found Wu near the base, where he told them he was there to observe the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber.

He was warned that photographing or recording the base was prohibited.

Investigators say the same vehicle returned to the base the next day. Agents again contacted Wu, who admitted taking videos of the B-2 aircraft and photographing perimetre fencing, a gate and military equipment.

Authorities reviewed Wu’s phone and found 18 images and videos of Whiteman Air Force Base and military hardware, court documents say. Wu also admitted photographing another U.S. Air Force base and its aircraft.

Prosecutors said Wu entered the United States illegally near Nogales, Arizona, in June 2023 and was released while awaiting immigration proceedings scheduled for 2027.

He was re-arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Dec. 3, 2025.

The charge carries a possible sentence of up to one year in federal prison if Wu is convicted.