British Man Indicted in US for Alleged Military Tech Smuggling to China and Dissident Harassment

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A British man and a Chinese national have been indicted in the U.S. for an alleged plot to illegally export sensitive American military technology to China, including missiles and drones. The indictment also charges them with orchestrating a scheme to stalk and harass a critic of the Chinese government residing in the U.S.

British Man Indicted in US Military Tech Smuggling Plot

John Miller, 63, a British national and U.S. lawful permanent resident, and Cui Guanghai, 43, a Chinese national, face serious charges in the United States. They were indicted by federal grand juries in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Los Angeles, California. The charges include conspiracy, interstate stalking, smuggling, and violations of the Arms Export Control Act.

The alleged plot involved attempting to acquire and export various defense articles from the U.S. to China without the necessary licenses.
Items sought included encrypted communications gear (ReAlly Simply Key Loader (RASKL) KIK-30 Type 1 cryptographic device), missiles, air defense radar, and Black Hornet drones.
Miller reportedly sent a "Christmas wish list" to an individual affiliated with the FBI, detailing desired items such as surface-to-air and anti-aircraft missiles, and Predator drones.
The men allegedly discussed concealing the technology within household items like blenders and other small electronics to facilitate smuggling.

Harassment of Chinese Dissident Uncovered

Beyond the military technology plot, Miller and Cui are accused of orchestrating a campaign to harass and intimidate a U.S. resident who had publicly criticized Chinese President Xi Jinping and the Chinese government. Unbeknownst to them, individuals they enlisted for this scheme were working with the FBI.

The harassment included: installing a tracking device on the victim’s car, slashing the victim’s tires, and attempting to destroy artistic statues created by the victim depicting Xi Jinping and his wife.
The alleged actions were aimed at preventing the individual from protesting Xi Jinping at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in November 2023.
Miller and Cui allegedly paid approximately $36,500 to individuals (who were FBI informants) to dissuade the dissenter from revealing new artistic statues of President Xi and his wife online.

International Cooperation and Potential Penalties

Both Miller and Cui were arrested in Serbia and remain there. The U.S. Department of Justice is coordinating with Serbian officials for their extradition to the United States. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche condemned the alleged actions, stating, "This is a blatant assault on both our national security and our democratic values."

If convicted, the men face significant prison sentences:

Conspiracy: Up to five years
Interstate Stalking: Up to five years
Violation of the Arms Export Control Act: Up to 20 years
Smuggling: Up to 10 years

FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino emphasized the commitment to protecting free speech and national security, stating, "The defendants allegedly plotted to harass and interfere with an individual who criticized the actions of the People’s Republic of China while exercising their constitutionally protected free speech rights within the United States of America. The same individuals also are charged with trying to obtain and export sensitive U.S. military technology to China."