(DailyDig.com) – There are concerns in the US regarding many attempts by foreign nationals to access their military bases over the last several years, at both mainland and overseas bases.
In 2020, three nationals from China were convicted for striving to access Navy facilities in Key West, Florida. In 2023, the Chinese established a spy base in Cuba, approximately 90 miles south of the Naval Base. There was a fear that the spies were trying to gather information about the US’s capacity to identify its military and spy activities in Cuba, as well as their involvement in operations in the Bahamas.
The Department of Defense and the FBI have authenticated more than one hundred incidents where nationals from China have posed as tourists to attempt unauthorized admittance to military bases and other US federal sites. US officials have dubbed foreign nationals “gate crashers” because they employ a variety of methods to gain entry to restricted facilities.
An FBI spokesperson stated that they, along with other intelligence and defense partners, are committed to the protection of US national security.
Every day, the 1,400 security gates at restricted bases and locations thwart over 10,000 attempts by foreign nationals to enter the facilities.
Cyberattacks, another method of gaining access to the US military and sensitive defense infrastructure, are on the rise due to their potential to uncover sensitive data. The cyber threat is escalating, and top officials have raised warnings about the chaos they could cause by accessing the US digital battlefield.
Recently, Harry Coker, the director of US National Cyber, warned that China is employing hackers that have been one step ahead of US cyber defenses as they target, with accuracy, US interests. Although tensions are high in Washington, Beijing has not backed down on its denials of involvement.
Military Police have also caught other foreign nationals trying to enter military bases. Two Jordanian citizens attempted to enter the Quantico Marine Corps Base, stating they were making a delivery for Amazon. They were arrested and released into the custody of ICE.
Copyright 2024, DailyDig.com
