Chinese Student Arrested for Allegedly Photographing Planes at US Military Base

The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York in New York City on Feb. 7, 2019. Spencer Platt/Getty ImagesA Chinese college student has been arrested after federal authorities discovered that he had illegally photographed U.S. military planes near Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska, an incident that prompted concerns from Sen. Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.) and Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen, a Republican, about national security.Liang Tianrui, 21, was arrested at New York City’s John F. Kennedy International Airport on April 7 while attempting to leave the United States after a judge in Nebraska issued a warrant four days earlier, according to a court document filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York. He is now being charged with one count of photographing or sketching defense installations without authorization.