2 Chinese Nationals Plead Guilty For Photographing Key West Naval Base

Two Chinese nationals pleaded guilty Tuesday after they were arrested for illegally photographing a Florida-based U.S. military installation.

Jielun Zhang and Yuhao Wang, both 24, appeared in a federal court in Key West and pleaded guilty for one count of illegally photographing the Naval Air Station Key West, said ABC News, citing court records.

The records further pointed that Zhang and Wang drove to a Naval Air Station Key West annex entrance on January 4. They were stopped by a guard-on-duty and told them that they could not enter the premises without military identification.

Instead of turning back, both men drove onto the base and started taking pictures.

Their luck ran out when they were finally arrested.

Four Chinese nationals have been arrested for taking pictures of portions of Key West military bases since 2018, said the Associated Press.

27-year-old Lyuyou Liao was arrested December last year after witnesses saw him walking around the perimeter fence of same naval base and entering the property from the rocks along the water.

Military police also saw Liao taking pictures using his cellphone, said Navy Times.

After he was arrested, Liao told a Naval Criminal Investigative Service agent that he was trying to take snippets of the sunrise, but the agent reported that he found pictures of the Truman Annex.

Liao was charged with entering Navy property for the purpose of photographing defense installations.

Prior to Liao's arrest, Zhao Qianli was also apprehended when authorities discovered several snippets of government buildings and a Defense Department antenna.

Zang and Wang could face up to a year in prison and a $100,000 fine.

Their sentencing is set on May 11.