GRAYLING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – In a shocking development, five Chinese graduates from the University of Michigan have been charged by the FBI after being caught on the property of Camp Grayling during a U.S. National Guard training exercise last year

The charges include conspiracy, providing false statements to federal investigators, and tampering with records during a federal investigation. The men were there during a training exercise between the U.S. National Guard and Taiwanese military forces.

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The Detroit News has reported that a sergeant major with the Utah National Guard spotted the group snapping photos just 15 feet away from military vehicles, tents, and communication equipment. The area, clearly marked with caution tape and “no trespassing” signs, was packed with tents, antennas, satellite dishes, vehicles, and generators. Approaching them, the sergeant major asked what they were photographing. “We’re media,” one of them responded and then the men quickly left the area.

This incident adds fuel to the growing controversy surrounding the Gotion Inc. battery plant project in Michigan, located only 88 miles south of Camp Grayling, which critics say poses a security threat due to its connections to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

Joseph Cella, former U.S. Ambassador and co-founder of the Michigan China Economic and Security Review Group, is calling for Governor Gretchen Whitmer to cancel the Gotion deal, citing this case as further evidence of China’s growing espionage efforts on U.S. soil. Michigan News reported Cella’s concerns about the battery plant earlier in the week, citing his attendance at a House Committee on Oversight and Accountability hearing.

As investigations continue, the case has drawn national attention, raising questions about how deeply foreign influence has infiltrated state projects.