Updated 4 May 2026 at 02:36 IST
Chinese student Tianrui Liang was arrested at JFK for photographing E-4B and RC-135 planes from outside Offutt AFB, with the authorities claiming that he was detained as a flight risk, with no espionage charges filed yet. Chinese Student Detained At JFK Over Photos Of US ‘Doomsday Plane’ At Offutt Air Force Base | Image:
X New York: A 21-year-old Chinese national and aeronautical engineering student has been arrested by federal agents in New York after allegedly photographing highly sensitive US military aircraft from outside Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska. Tianrui Liang was detained at John F Kennedy International Airport on April 7, as he attempted to board a flight to Frankfurt en route to Glasgow.
Tianrui Liang, who studies at the University of Glasgow, is charged under 18 USC § 795, a seldom-used federal statute that bars unauthorised photography of designated military installations and equipment. The prosecutors asserted that he took images of the Boeing E-4B Nightwatch, known as the ‘Doomsday Plane’, and a Boeing RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft while standing outside the perimeter of Offutt, home to US Strategic Command.
The law enforcement agencies stressed that Tianrui Liang did not enter the base and has not been charged with espionage. Instead, the case centres on photographs taken from publicly accessible vantage points. According to an FBI affidavit, in his statement, the Chinese student stated that the pictures were for his personal collection and that he had used planespotting websites to locate suitable viewing spots.
As per reports, the court filings show Liang entered the United States on March 28, crossing from Vancouver into Washington state on a valid B1/B2 visa. He was travelling with a friend who studies in New York. The pair drove through Seattle, Montana, South Dakota and Nebraska before heading east.
The FBI affidavit stated that Liang first visited Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota with the intention of photographing B-1B Lancer bombers. He then went on to Offutt in Bellevue, Nebraska, where a witness reported seeing a man with a camera and a telescopic lens near the installation. The base officials confirmed that he never gained access and said that they are cooperating with the investigation. The filings also indicated that he planned to travel to Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma to photograph additional E-4Bs before leaving the country.
Tianrui Liang was arrested at JFK under a Nebraska warrant as he prepared to depart. He appeared before a magistrate judge in New York on April 8 and was initially released on bail. However, Chief District Judge Rober
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