Former Naval Station Great Lakes Sailor Pleads Guilty to Plotting Attack on Military Base
What We Know:
Xuanyu Harry Pang, 38, of North Chicago, has pleaded guilty to federal charges for plotting an attack on Naval Station Great Lakes, a military base in the northern part of Chicago. Pang, a former sailor, admitted to conspiring and attempting to willfully injure and destroy national defense material, national defense premises, and national defense utilities, with the intent to injure, interfere with, and obstruct the national defense of the United States.
The Backstory:
Pang was born in Changchun City, China, and became a naturalized U.S. citizen after moving to the United States in June 1998. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy around February 1, 2022. In the summer of 2021, Pang spoke with a person in Colombia about assisting in an attack against the United States in response to the U.S. military’s 2020 killing of Qasem Soleimani, a general in Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force.
Plot Unfolds:
An undercover FBI agent, posing as a Quds Force affiliate, contacted the Colombian online about planning an attack. The Colombian then connected the agent with Pang, who was stationed at Naval Station Great Lakes in North Chicago. Pang used an encrypted messaging app to communicate with the agent, discussing potential targets, including the naval base and other locations in the Chicago area, that would cause "max damage."
Meetings and Surveillance:
After Pang and the Colombian agreed to assist in the operation, Pang met three times in the fall of 2022 with a person posing as an associate of the undercover FBI agent. The meetings took place outside Ogilvie Transportation Center in downtown Chicago and twice at a train station in Lake Bluff. During the Lake Bluff meetings, Pang showed surveillance photos and videos he had taken of various locations inside and outside the base. He also provided two military uniforms for operatives to wear during the attack and a cell phone to be "used in a test for a detonator."
What’s Next:
Pang remains in custody and is scheduled for sentencing on May 27, 2025. He faces up to 20 years in federal prison. The Chicago Joint Terrorism Task Force, which includes multiple federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, investigated the case.
Conclusion:
Pang’s guilty plea serves as a reminder of the importance of vigilance in the face of domestic and international terrorism. The Chicago Joint Terrorism Task Force’s swift and thorough investigation ensured that justice was served, and the public can rest assured that those who pose a threat to national security will be brought to account.
Frequently Asked Questions:
- What is the potential sentence for Xuanyu Harry Pang?
Pang faces up to 20 years in federal prison. - What is the name of the military base involved in the plot?
Naval Station Great Lakes is the military base involved in the plot. - What is the motivation behind the plot?
The plot was allegedly motivated by Pang’s desire to assist in an attack against the United States in response to the U.S. military’s 2020 killing of Qasem Soleimani, a general in Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force.
