A Chinese national was arrested Thursday for taking photos of a U.S. naval base in Key West, Florida.

Liao Lyuyou reportedly entered a restricted section of the base and began taking photos of an annex and building said to be near “sensitive” facilities.

Liao reportedly ignored repeated verbal warnings and many signs designating the area as off-limits. According to court filings, Liao said he was attempting to photograph the sunset. Officials said that the photos on his camera did not back up this claim and were mostly of government buildings. He has now been charged with entering a military facility with the intent of photographing defense technology.

This incident comes on the heels of similar situations, including one where a 29-year-old Visa holder was found to have stolen cancer research materials after 21 vials of a biological substance were found in his luggage at Logan Airport. Officials say the man was attempting to bring the materials to Beijing.

In September 2018, a 20-year-old Chinese student was sentenced to a year in prison for taking photos of the Joint Interagency Task Force South, located at the same Key West base.

Speaking with CNN, multiple officials and experts have said that they believe China is working to obtain sensitive state secrets in order to undermine the U.S. and forward the country’s own agenda worldwide.

Officials said the Navy was leading the investigation into the shooting to determine what prompted it
Security outside of a US naval base. AFP / Ronen ZILBERMAN
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