A college student from China has been accused of illegally taking photos of U.S. military aircraft in Nebraska during a multi-state road trip that included a stop at an Air Force base in South Dakota.
Tianrui Liang, 21, was arrested on April 7 at a New York airport while trying to leave the United States for Glasgow, Scotland, where he attends school, the FBI said in a lawsuit.
The FBI said Liang admitted that he got out of a car on a public road in late March and took photos of an RC-135, a reconnaissance plane, and an E-4B at Offutt Air Force Base near Omaha.
The E-4B, known as “Nightwatch,” can serve as an airborne command center for the president and military officials in times of emergency, according to the British Daily Mail. To the Air Force.
The FBI said it is illegal to photograph or draw defense installations without consent. photo Both planes We are Available online.
The FBI said Liang told investigators that “it was legal to take pictures of the sky, but he knew it was illegal to take pictures of airplanes on the ground.”
The FBI said these documents were for his personal collection.
Liang’s attorney, Jeff Thomas, declined to comment Tuesday. Liang has not yet appeared in federal court in Omaha.
The FBI said Liang flew to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada on March 26 and met a friend, a college student, in New York.
According to the affidavit, they drove across the US border into Washington state before Liang drove alone to see Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota. The FBI said it was also interested in going to Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma.