Journalist Pleads Guilty to Working for China | Honduras News

Honduras News Today | 2 Min News | The Daily News Now! · Sep 3, 2026 · 1m

An American journalist, Thomas Weir Pauken II, has been sentenced to two years in federal prison for secretly working as an agent for China’s Ministry of State Security — helping recruit spies and gather sensitive U.S. intel while posing as a Chinese media professional. Despite admitting guilt and saying he never handed over classified data, prosecutors say he was paid $100K+ and directed by Chinese officials from 2019 until his arrest. His return to the U.S. last year led to a CBP bust, and payments were funneled through his wife’s accounts — all part of a broader crackdown as U.S.-China…