A former Central Intelligence Agency officer has been arrested on charges of conspiring with a relative, who also worked for the CIA, to spy for China.
Alexander Yuk Ching Ma, 67, a naturalized citizen born in Hong Kong, was arrested on August 14, yet his name was only disclosed Monday.
He is accused of selling US secrets to China and disclosing identities of Chinese informants to the US, according to federal court documents unsealed Monday in Hawaii.
Another family member of his is also similarly implicated in the indictment, although he was not prosecuted due to advanced age (85 years old). He remains anonymous in the indictment.
The pair provided information to China’s security agency, according to video and audio recordings dating back as early as March 2001 obtained by the FBI.
In the early recording, the two receive $50,000 from Beijing agents. It is unknown how the FBI received the evidence.
It is the latest espionage arrest at a time of growing tension between Washington and Beijing.
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