A Chinese national is facing federal charges after investigators say he illegally photographed sensitive military areas near Whiteman Air Force Base in west-central Missouri.
According to federal court records, 35-year-old Qilin Wu has been charged with one count of taking photographs of a vital military installation and military equipment without authorization. The charge stems from an incident on December 2, 2025, when Wu was allegedly seen photographing areas from outside the base perimeter.
Investigators say the case began when the Whiteman Air Force Base Office of Special Investigations received a report of a suspicious minivan with Massachusetts license plates near the installation. Air Force security patrolmen were dispatched to the area and made contact with Wu, who reportedly told officers he was there to “observe the B-2 Spirit aircraft” stationed at the base.
Court documents indicate the situation escalated the following day when the same vehicle was spotted again, this time near a perimeter fence. During that encounter, Wu allegedly admitted to recording videos of the B-2 aircraft and taking multiple photographs of base infrastructure, including perimeter fencing, a gate, and military equipment. Investigators later recovered a total of 18 images and videos from Wu’s phone.
Federal filings further state that Wu is a Chinese citizen who unlawfully entered the United States near Nogales, Arizona, on June 22, 2023. He was initially detained by immigration authorities but released due to limited detention space. Wu was then scheduled for immigration removal proceedings in February 2027.
On December 3, 2025, Wu was taken back into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The federal charge related to the alleged military surveillance now proceeds separately in court.
The information was first reported by KCTV5.
