For second time in less than a week, a Chinese national was caught on a US military base...what are they doing there?
TWENTYNINE PALMS, CA - Less than one week after a Chinese national was caught trespassing at a Marine base in the El Centro Sector in California, as reported by Law Enforcement Today, a report comes out of the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center at Twentynine Palms, also in California, that a Chinese national attempted to drive onto the base.
Military.com reported that last week, the Chinese national was able to make it past gate guards but was immediately apprehended by military police, Marine Corps officials told the outlet.
According to Marine Corps spokesman Maj. Joshua Pena, "At approximately 12:45 p.m. on March 27, 2024, an individual attempted to access Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, California, without valid identification.
“Despite being prompted to exit at the Condor Gate by installation security, the individual proceeded onto the installation without authorization. Military law enforcement were immediately notified and detained the individual,” Pena continued. “They then notified and transferred custody to Customs and Border Patrol (CBP).”
Military.com said the Condor Gate entrance is adjacent to a military housing complex and within sight of an elementary school.
In a March 29 post on X, Chief Patrol Agent Gregory Bovino with CBP confirmed the suspect was in the U.S. illegally. No further information was provided.
Why would two military-aged Chinese males enter US military bases within a couple hundred miles of each other within a matter of days? Nobody knows, but it cannot be good given the current state of relations between the U.S. and China.
In September, the Wall Street Journal reported that over 100 Chinese nationals had posed as tourists over recent years to gain access to military bases and other sensitive sites, citing information from U.S. officials who believe the trend is “espionage-related.”
For example, in 2020, Chinese nationals attempted to forcibly gain access to Fort Wainwright, Alaska, claiming they had “reservations” at the base hotel. Meanwhile, another group of Chinese nationals illegally entered a naval air station in Key West, Florida, to “take photos.”
Since Joe Biden hung out the “Welcome to the USA” shingle when he was installed into office in January 2021, over 140,000 Chinese have illegally entered the country, a majority of them military-aged males, according to Just The News.